It is commonplace for girls to be at a disadvantage in education in Bauchi in comparison to boys. In a crowded classroom of Government Day Junior Secondary School Tudun Alheri in Warji local government of Bauchi State, 14-year-old Halima, struggled to write the English alphabet when asked to do so. She is already a JSS3 student. Her attempt to put down the letters was uneven, her grip on the pen unsteady.
Behind her calm expression lies a silent struggle as she attends school but can neither read nor write, a feat that ought to have been achieved in primary school. Around her, other girls share the same fate, trapped in a system that has left them behind despite their enthusiasm for learning that should change their lives forever.
Across Bauchi state particularly in rural communities, thousands of girls face similar challenges. In addition to the general problems that infested schools that are affecting boy and girl children, lack of gender-supportive infrastructure, female teachers’ scarcity and dropout rates among girls continue to rise, making efforts to catapult girls child education almost fruitless.
Over the years, the government claims spending on education but the system remains indifferent to the specific barriers that prevent girls from staying in school to completion.
WikkiTimes findings show the challenges are beyond missing classrooms or outdated textbooks; it is about lost futures. It is about a budgeting system that prioritizes general spending over targeted interventions with verifiable results that could keep girls not just in school but well learned in it.
This investigation uncovers the hidden failures of Bauchi’s education budget and the dropout crisis affecting girls. Using official data, firsthand accounts, and expert insights, the report tells why urgent reforms are needed to prevent the continuity of lost opportunities for Bauch girls.
Who Are Failing Girls in Bauchi?
A survey across some public secondary schools in Bauchi revealed challenges such as lack of gender-supportive infrastructure such as separate toilets for girls, inadequate learning materials, and overcrowding are just a few disturbing realities that affect many girls in upper basic and senior secondary schools who cannot read or write.
WikkiTimes observed across the schools that there are few female teachers, making it difficult for girls to find mentorship and guidance while no structured programme exists to keep girls in school, leading to high dropout rates.
Reports have confirmed that cultural barriers, poverty and certain aspects of religious understanding in addition to the government failure have contributed to the plight of girl child education in Bauchi.
For instance, at Government Secondary School Gwallameji, Bauchi LGA, a teacher, who wished to remain anonymous, explained “Some of our girls disappear from school before their final exams. Either they are married off, or they drop out due to financial struggles. No one follows up, and there are no interventions designed to keep them here.”
A Review of Bauchi’s Allocations to Education
From out-of-school children, and girl child education to general pupils’ performance in education, Bauchi, continues to appear in an unfavourable status.
WikkiTimes, in trying to connect the dots, reviews the state budgetary allocations in Education from 2021 to 2024 which reveals inconsistencies and poor performance in funding, raising concerns about the government’s commitment to addressing educational challenges generally and gender-specific hurdles in particular.
The budget examination of the education’s allocation shows a troubling pattern of underfunding, particularly between 2021 and 2023.
In 2021, the education sector was allocated ₦4.64 billion, which was later revised down to ₦4.24 billion. However, only ₦117.56 million was spent, marking a dismal 2.8% budget performance for an all-important sector like education.
The following year, in 2022, the trend worsened. The allocation dropped from ₦2.94 billion to ₦2.54 billion, with only ₦39.52 million spent resulting in a 1.6% performance rate, even lower than in 2021.
In 2023, the budget further declined to ₦1.78 billion, down from an initial ₦2.47 billion. However, ₦621.45 million was spent, improving the budget performance to 34.7%.
A sharp contrast emerged in 2024, where the education budget saw a massive increase to an approved final allocation of ₦6.22 billion. The budget performance also surged to 73%, as ₦4.56 billion was spent by the fourth quarter.
While the 2024 figures suggest a renewed focus on education, experts and stakeholders remain skeptical about whether the increased budget has been effectively utilized. The spending also did not clearly report expenses on gender-specific needs for the girl-student.
Education advocates argue that without Gender-Responsive Education Budgeting (GREB) which prioritizes interventions like improved gender-need school infrastructure, recruitment of female teachers whose mentorship and counseling are desperately needed, and retention programmes for girls, the funds expended may not significantly impact the alarming girls’ academic challenges and dropout in the state.
Experts believe that the government’s failure to properly fund education over the years has contributed to the current crisis, where many girls remain in school but devoid of mastering basic skills required of their educational status. Others even drop out.
Stakeholders are calling for greater transparency and accountability on how education allocations are managed in the state. Mallam Jamil Toro, a teacher in Bauchi, argued “We see budget figures increasing, but there is little change in reality. Schools still lack basic infrastructure, and girls continue to drop out. The money is not reaching the places where it is needed the most.”
If Bauchi State is to address its education crisis, particularly for girls, he stressed that increased budget allocations must be matched with strategic implementation, targeted policies, and accountability mechanisms to ensure that the funds are spent where they are most useful.
School Enrollment
Despite government claims to investing in education, official data from the Ministry of Education’s Annual Schools Census Report shows a huge gender disparity in enrollment across seven Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.
The report shows that girls’ school enrollment drops significantly as they progress from SS1 to SS3 in almost every LGA, with the worst disparities in rural areas.
In some LGAs, the number of girls in SS3 is nearly half that of boys, reflecting high dropout rates or non-enrollment at all. In Gamawa, only 126 girls were enrolled in SS1, and by SS2, that number dropped to 102, while boys’ enrollment remained significantly higher.
Warji LGA had the most drastic disparity in SS3, where 1,207 boys were enrolled compared to just 260 girls.
Bauchi metropolis has relatively better numbers, but the dropout trend remains consistent—girls in SS3 are fewer than in SS1, meaning many do not complete secondary school for reasons such as early marriage and poverty.
These figures align with broader concerns about Bauchi State’s overall education crisis. The ICIR citing the National Mass Education Programme Initiative (NMPI) said 55.7% of school-age children are out of school in Bauchi.
The ICIR further reports that Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the world, with estimates ranging between 10 and 20 million, according to a 2024 UNICEF report.
Unlike states where insecurity has led to school closures, Bauchi’s crisis is largely driven by systemic neglect, poverty among others.
Why Bauchi Should Adopt Need-Based Allocation in Education
In addition to improvement in 2024 funding, Bauchi State has significantly increased its education budget in 2025 with an approved ₦14.55 billion for the sector. However, the state still struggles with poor literacy rates among girls and high dropout rates.
WikkiTimes observed that while allocation increases, the needs of most vulnerable students such as girls are still at the peripheral part of the budget if not entirely absent.
A comparison with Sokoto and Ekiti states’ 2025 education budgets reveals a contrast in approach. While Bauchi allocates substantial funds to education without a clear gender-responsive framework, Sokoto and Ekiti have taken deliberate steps to ensure their budgets cater specifically to female students.
How Sokoto and Ekiti Are Doing It Differently.
Both Sokoto and Ekiti states have embedded gender-responsive education budgeting (GREB) principles in their financial plans of 2025.
For instance, the states made provision for procurement of 500 tailoring machines for girls’ secondary schools, provision of laboratory equipment for female schools, rehabilitation of female education centers and procurement of school furniture for female students.
As insignificant as it may seem, by directing funds toward initiatives that directly support girls’ education, these states are ensuring that financial allocations translate into real specific needs for impact. This targeted approach addresses key barriers such as inadequate school infrastructure, limited vocational opportunities, and the absence of gender-supportive learning environments, challenges that continue to affect girls in Bauchi schools.
How Bauchi Can Close the Gap with Targeted Solutions Budget
Despite Bauchi’s increased education budget, absence of targeted solution budget that directly addresses the needs and priorities of girl child will go a long way closing the gaps in interventions needed to keep girls in school.
Experts argue that increasing the budget alone is not enough; without a structured, gender-focused spending plan, Bauchi risks failing its female students continuously.
The state should adopt GREB principles by allocating funds to scholarships and mentorship programmes for girls, investing in female-friendly infrastructure, including separate toilets and secure classrooms, recruiting and training more female teachers to support gender-balanced education and implementing retention programs to prevent dropouts due to financial or social barriers.
With a ₦14.55 billion for 2025, Bauchi has a chance to turn the tide on its education crisis. But without targeted investments in girls’ education, the state risks continuing the cycle of poor literacy and high dropout rates especially among girls.Â
This report was published with collaborative support from the Impact House Centre for Development Communication and System Strategy and Policy Lab (SSPL)
