Destitute Learner in Nigeria Education System: Slogan or Reality?

Abstract

Despite worldwide vows to "education for all," extreme poverty in continues to keep millions of youngsters out of meaningful educational opportunities. This study investigates the educational experiences of destitute learners—children living in extreme multidimensional poverty—in Nigeria's formal education system. The research conceptualizes poverty as a structural predictor of educational disparity rather than a secondary background condition, drawing on the Capability Approach, Social Reproduction Theory, and Human Capital Theory. The paper uses policy analysis and secondary empirical data to show that many inclusive education programs are just rhetorical promises that don't take into account the material limitations that the ultra-poor experience. Results show that access, retention, and learning outcomes for impoverished students are consistently compromised by hunger, hidden educational expenses, child labor, and inadequate targeting mechanisms. The essay makes the case for a rethinking of inclusive education that puts the most disadvantaged students first through integrated social protection, equity-based funding, and accountability frameworks that are sensitive to poverty.