The depressing high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria has been described as a threat to the nation’s peace.
The number of out-of-school children in the country is currently 18.3 million making it one of the highest contributors to the global
According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), one in three Nigerian children is out of school, with about 10.2 million children at the primary level and about 8.1 million at the junior secondary school level.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday, Chikezie Ogaziechi, the Convener of Child Plus Africa, highlighted the alarming issue of child labour arising from the out-of-school syndrome as a significant setback for the country, attributing it to the pervasive inequity in Nigerian society.
He characterized the staggering figure of 24,673,485 children engaged in child labour as utterly unacceptable.
During his investiture as the Ambassador for the United Nations Youth Association – Nigeria (UNYA-NG), Ogaziechi condemned the high number of disadvantaged children, noting that their plight poses a substantial barrier to peace in the nation, saying, “These children will be the reason we won’t have peace as they embrace criminality on the streets.”
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Describing ‘Cultivating a Culture of Peace’, the theme of the recently concluded UNYA-NG summit to commemorate the United Nations’ International Day of Peace 2024, as highly relevant, Chikezie Ogaziechi emphasised the need for concerted efforts by all key stakeholders, including the private sector, to address the issue holistically for the sake of sustainable peace in the country.
He said it is worthy of emulation the strides made by Child Plus Africa in bridging the inequality gap, noting that the organization has successfully taken hundreds of children off the streets and returned them to the classroom.
He highlighted the strides made by Child Plus Africa in bridging the inequality gap, describing the organization’s efforts as worthy of emulation for successfully taking hundreds of children off the streets and returning them to the classroom.
“Taking the children out of the streets and returning them to the classrooms is a job everyone must be a part of,” he said.
In his remarks, the President of UNYA-NG, Ambassador Eze Ihechukwumere Ezekiel, also reiterated the need for the restoration of world peace, saying, “As we commemorate the UN Day of Peace, we implore all humanity in Nigeria and across the globe to commit to Peace above all differences and to contribute to building a Culture of Peace.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations and in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.