Anambra State Governor Professor Chukwuma Soludo has pledged to drive the state’s out-of-school children rate, already the lowest in Nigeria at 2.6 percent, down to zero, saying the figure was recorded before the state’s full scholarship program for primary and secondary schools was introduced and was therefore likely already lower.

Soludo made the declaration at Alex Ekwueme Square in Awka, where he took the salute at a march past by primary and secondary school students marking the 2026 Children’s Day celebration. He contrasted Anambra’s 2.6 percent rate with some states in the country where the figure reached 60 percent, describing the gap as evidence of what consistent government investment in education could achieve.

He said his administration would not stop at the current figure. “We aim to make it zero percent,” the governor stated, expressing pride in the enthusiasm with which Anambra children were embracing education.

The governor’s wife, Nonye Soludo, issued a separate statement describing Anambra children as the pride and future of the state, and assuring that with the right education, mentorship, and opportunities, every child in the state could reach their full potential. She said the boldness of their dreams and the brilliance they demonstrated were qualities the administration was committed to nurturing.