{
  "id": 13068430,
  "title": "$27.8bn lost as children remain out of school",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/27-8bn-lost-as-children-remain-out-of-school",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-09T08:24:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Ghanaian Times",
    "slug": "ghanaian-times",
    "url": "https://ghanaiantimes.com.gh/27-8bn-lost-as-children-remain-out-of-school/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Director of Research at the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, Dr Adedeji Adeniran, disclosed that West Africa incurred an estimated $27.8 billion in economic value due to children being excluded from education. This loss stems from reduced productivity and the loss of future opportunities for millions of children. He encouraged African governments to enhance investment in proven education innovations, which could be facilitated by providing the necessary funding and leadership. The Director of Associates for Change, Dr Leslie Hayford, highlighted the conference's focus on education innovations that could be scaled up cost-effectively to reach children affected by emergencies and learning disruptions. Dr Sunita Gandhi from India, Founder of Dignity Education, noted that foundational literacy and numeracy could be acquired rapidly and at a lower cost than previously thought, with research showing children could achieve basic reading skills within 45-60 days. Pilot projects in Ghana have demonstrated promising results, and discussions are underway to expand these interventions. Mrs Patience Effie Abue Dogbey, Deputy Executive Director of Support Services at the Complementary Education Agency, emphasized that the conference yielded recommendations to guide efforts to reach out-of-school children and strengthen collaboration with non-governmental organizations and development partners.",
  "summary": "West Africa loses an estimated $27.8 billion in economic value as a result of children being excluded from education, the Director of Research at the Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa, Dr Adedeji Adeniran, has revealed. He said the loss translated into reduced productivity and lost future opportunities for millions of children. … The post $27.8bn lost as children remain out of…",
  "key_points": [
    "West Africa loses $27.8 billion due to children out of school.",
    "Foundational literacy and numeracy can be learned in 45-60 days.",
    "Recommendations aim to reach out-of-school children and strengthen collaboration."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}