The basic education sub-sector has 277,537 teachers deficit, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has said.
The commission also said there is a deficit of 135,319 teachers at the Early Childhood Care Development Education, 139,772 in primary schools and 2,446 in Junior Secondary Schools nationwide.
It said there are 27.8 million learners currently enrolled in primary schools, 22,384,755 in public primary schools and 5,504,632 in private schools.
UBEC gave the figures in the 2018 National Personnel Audit (NPA) report unveiled yesterday in Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The report was conducted in public and private schools by UBEC with efforts from other stakeholders.
The document showed that Nigeria has 10,193,918 out-of-school children.
The President urged governors to take necessary actions to ensure improved access, equity and quality in education delivery in their states.
President Buhari, who was represented by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, noted that urgent action should be taken to close the gaps identified in the report and find lasting solutions to the problems confronting education in the country.
He said the Federal Government would ensure that all Nigerian children are given equal opportunity to complete basic education.
The President urged state governments to critically examine the findings or recommendations contained in the report that affect their states.
He said: “I am sure the report has revealed some gaps that need to be filled at various levels of government in order to improve basic education delivery in our country.
“I, therefore, urge state governments to critically examine the findings or recommendations contained in this report that affect their states and take necessary actions to ensure improve access, equity and quality in education delivery.
“States with very high deficiencies in teachers and infrastructure facilities need to redouble their effort to close these gaps.”
The President said the report was key to the realisation of the Ministerial Strategic Plan (MSP) because everything ultimately depended on it.
He added that the Federal Ministry of Education would critically examine the findings and recommendations contained in the report and come up with policies and actions that would help to reposition the sector.
President Buhari said: “Without data, you cannot plan anything. Government will ensure that all Nigerian children are given equal opportunity to complete basic education.
“This document contains data of enrolment and locations of schools for private and non-private, the number of qualified teachers and other indices in order to determine key indicators in the education sub-sector.
“Our stakeholders will find this document useful. However, this is not to say that this document being launched today is perfect.”
