Governments have been urged to prioritise basic education, as concerns grow over increasing number of out-of-school children in the country.
Bishop of Anglican Diocese of Lagos West, Dr. Lydia Odedeji, made the appeal, calling for emergency in the education to address the decay.
She slammed attacks on schools by criminals.
Dr. Odedeji, who spoke at the 26th Annual Women’s Conference of the diocese, noted that reports from United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) showed that Nigeria has the highest out-of-school children globally — with 10.2 million at the primary level, and another 8.1 million lacking access at the junior secondary level.
She blamed the situation on poverty and insecurity, while calling on the National Assembly to demonstrate concern about the statistics by passing bills to reduce the figures.
“Something must be done to reverse this trend, as we sit on a keg of gunpowder. The explosion might consume those with a retinue of security,” Mrs Odedeji warned.
The Bishop’s wife, also president of the Women Organisation, lauded Federal Government’s students’ loan initiative for public universities, and canvassed similar interventions for basic education.
On the conference: “Do not give place to the Enemy,” Dr. Odedeji urged parents to embrace positive parenting
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She urged mothers to be serious about godly upbringing, stressing importance of “catching them young for God” to build a peaceful society.
Turning to politics, she observed that campaigns for the 2027 general elections are already gathering momentum, but appealed to governments at all levels to prioritise governance over politicking, while also calling for increased participation of women in politics.
Earlier at the welcome service, the Bishop of the Diocese, the Right Reverend James Odedeji, encouraged women not to allow the enemy to steal their joy, weaken their faith, or destroy their relationship with God.
Quoting various scriptures, he emphasised that Satan can only operate in a person’s life when given permission. He listed some of the enemy’s tactics as weakness, sin, temptation, idle words, gossip, division, condemnation, fear, and doubt.
The Bishop urged the women to “put on the full armour of God, submit to Him, and resist the devil by guarding their hearts through prayer, walking in the light, and remaining rooted in the Word.”
Other highlights of the conference, held at the Caroline Adebiyi Women’s Conference Centre in Ipaja, Lagosb, and other impactful activities.
Dignitaries at the event include the wives of the bishops of Lagos Mainland, Mrs Olabo Johnson and Mrs Bimbola Oludipe of the Diocese of Ijebu.
Other personalities include Patrons and the dean of the Cathedral The Ven Ebenezer Adewole, administrative Archdeacons in the diocese