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Tag: Out-of-school children

  • Taming the menace of out-of-school children

    Taming the menace of out-of-school children

    • By Frank Ojeme Anyasi

    Sir: Many children across Nigeria lack access to education, a deeply concerning issue that presents a formidable challenge to the country’s future. The out-of-school children are not only deprived of opportunities but the problem poses a great threat to national development. Education equips individuals with knowledge and skills to cope with the daily challenges of life and reduces poverty in families and communities. Without it, children are denied the chance to attain their full potential.

    The prospects of a nation’s economic growth and stability depend significantly on an educated population. Development experts identify education as a major solution to Nigeria’s challenges, including poverty. Unfortunately, children from poor families are the hardest hit, facing social stigma, limited job opportunities, lower incomes, and a higher likelihood of involvement in criminal activities.

    In recognition of the transformative power of education, the United Nations General Assembly in 2018 proclaimed January 24 as the International Day of Education. Education transcends basic literacy and numeracy skills, fostering empathy, tolerance, and intercultural understanding. It is a right of the individual, a public good, and a shared responsibility. Education breaks the shackles of ignorance and poverty, empowers individuals, and provides the tools needed to build a better future.

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    As UN Secretary-General António Guterres once remarked, “Our dream of a sustainable future cannot be realized if we do not support children’s dreams to gain an education.” When we educate a child, we provide the skills and imagination needed to transform their world and improve society.

    However, the situation of child education in Nigeria is alarming. The number of out-of-school children has risen from 13.5 million to 18.3 million, making Nigeria the country with the highest population of out-of-school children globally (UNICEF). Various factors contribute to this crisis, including insecurity, poverty, and cultural barriers. Gender disparity also plays a significant role, with girls constituting 60% of out-of-school children. Many are forced into early marriage or domestic roles before acquiring basic education. Boys are often seen as sources of labour on farms or during family conflicts, further limiting their access to schooling.

    In many parts of the country, young boys who should be in school are involved in menial jobs such as motorcycling (Okada riding) and truck pushing, while others engage in illegal mining activities at great personal risk. Climate change exacerbates the situation, as declining agricultural productivity pushes children out of school to support their families.

    The absence of accessible schools in remote communities compounds the problem. A friend once shared his struggle of walking miles daily to attend secondary school in a neighbouring village—a challenge still faced by many children today. Additionally, poor teaching quality undermines the potential benefits of education, with some children after completing years of schooling still unable to read or solve basic mathematics problems.

    In 2004, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) was established to increase access to quality education for all Nigerian children. However, its implementation has fallen short of expectations, especially in reducing the number of out-of-school children. While enrolment has increased, retention remains a challenge, leaving many children trapped in poverty and limited opportunities.

    Addressing the issue requires intentional efforts and commitment to fully implement universal basic education programmes. In this era of digital transformation, leveraging technology can help bridge the education gap. Governments must prioritize free and accessible education up to the secondary school level, removing the financial barriers that often hinder school attendance.

    Investing in education is akin to setting the building blocks of Nigeria’s future. Ensuring free and quality education reduces the likelihood of youth engaging in nefarious activities and fosters a generation of informed, capable, and responsible citizens. Non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders must collaborate to ensure every child, regardless of their background, has access to education.

    Nigeria cannot afford to overlook the looming threat posed by an uneducated generation. The correlation between education and economic progress is undeniable. By prioritizing education, the country can transform its youth into a force for positive change and national development. After all, solving any social problem for the long term must go through the pathway of education.

    •Frank Ojeme Anyasi,

    Abuja.

  • Stakeholders seek action on  out-of-school children

    Stakeholders seek action on  out-of-school children

    Stakeholders in the Apapa Local Government Education Authority (LGEA), Apapa, Lagos State have stressed the need to tackle the issue of out-of-school children.

    The stakeholders, which included teachers, parents, community leaders and the LGEA authorities spoke at the 2024 Apapa LGEA State Universal  Basic Education (SUBEB) annual stakeholders’ forum organised by the School Based Management Committee, at Christian Primary School, Apapa, Lagos.

    Speaking at the forum, the Head of Research and Social Mobilisation Apapa LGEA, Mr. Ogunjirin Adeboye, raised the concern that a lot of children who have attained the formal learning age were not in school.

    He lamented that the nation risks parading illiterates who might occupy the positions of authority later.

    “Many children who are supposed to be in school to acquire formal education are not because of prevailing factors. If we don’t take care of them now they may become nuisance in the society,” he said.

    Adeboye outlined some of the causes and effects of out of school problem, including teenage pregnancy, environmental influences, poverty and government policy.

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    He called for a synergy between non-governmental organisations, corporate establishments, individual donors and the government in playing active roles to boost enrolment.

    Education Secretary of Apapa LGEA, Alhaja Fausat Olawepo, stressed the importance of community collaboration with the government to guarantee quality infrastructure for improved child education.

    She explained that the purpose of the forum was to draw the attention of the communities including parents, NGOs, corporate bodies and philanthropists to respond towards the educational development of children in Apapa to address the issue of out-of-school children.

    Olawepo stressed that proper learning and character were critical to child development and that the local government is doing well in funding of school projects and programmes to provide qualitative education.

    Highlights of the occasion were presentation of certificate of merit awards to deserving teachers by the LGEA and cultural dance displays by select pupils from various schools.

  • Elitism and Nigeria’s out-of-school children

    Elitism and Nigeria’s out-of-school children

    • By Ike Willie-Nwobu

    Sir: The Sultan of Sokoto has exonerated northern elites from the spectral out of school children crisis haunting Nigeria, especially the North. At a ceremony in Bauchi, the Sultan was quick to blame poverty and ignorance for flooding the streets of the North with countless confused and impressionable children, who have unwittingly become an army of conscripts for the ruthless terrorists trying to overrun Nigeria from the North.

    For Nigeria, which has a very young population, out-of-school children are in their millions, these children who should be in school but aren’t as a result of various factors are an ominous sign that Nigeria’s immediate future long rendered bleak by colossal corruption is at best blighted.

    When children who should be in school beg for a living, starting out their daily lives as mendicants and begging past the time when school children who have returned from school have been fed, rested and put through their school work, a soothsayer is not needed to discern that trouble is brewing on the horizon.

    It should worry the North that it is the region which has the highest number of out-of-school children in the country. This massive problem should give every leader in the country sleepless nights. If the North is today light years behind the rest of Nigeria in many indices that indicate development, it is because it has failed over the years to send its children — boys and girls — to school.

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    It is no coincidence that terrorism, which has emerged as Nigeria’s biggest problem recently has found such a sure foothold in the North. The conditions are there to support it – multifaceted and multigenerational poverty, plus ignorance and religious fanaticism.

    The Sultan may have gone on record to absolve the northern elites of blame in the region’s shocking education levels. He may have blamed ignorance and poverty. But to attempt to divorce poverty and ignorance from lack of education is to fail to see the problem.

    Poverty and ignorance may have come about in the beginning as a result not lack of education, but since the advent of education, it is its lack that waters the ground for poverty and ignorance. A well-educated population is one better equipped to resist the pernicious effects of poverty and ignorance. In fact, it is education more than any other resource the gives the educated the tools to combat poverty and ignorance, successfully.

    Nigeria is undoubtedly one of the most difficult countries in which to be a child. Children face all manner of challenges in a country that continues to grapple with poverty as well as unemployment and underdevelopment. In 2003, Nigeria passed the Child Rights Act, which was a watershed legislation in guaranteeing and protecting the rights of children. It is simply scandalous that more than two decades later, a couple of states are yet to domesticate the law in their states. Worse still, many states, especially in the North, continue to refuse to enforce the salient provisions of the Act citing religion and traditions.

    More than any part of the country, the elites in the North hold a strong influence on their people. This is as much a way of life as it is a reality. This means that if the elites in the North recognize that education can transform the fortunes of the largest region in Nigeria and advocate and invest in it accordingly, children will be taken off the streets and prepared for a future unlike anything they are living now.

    Until the elites in the North do this, they are very much responsible for the region’s absolutely alarming number of out-of-school children. More than anything, it is one of the more egregious effects of elitism.

    •Ike Willie-Nwobu,

    Ikewilly9@gmail.com

  • Out-of-school children: Lagos moves to establish more technical colleges

    Out-of-school children: Lagos moves to establish more technical colleges

    By Olufunke Ojo

    The Lagos State Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Mr. Jamiu Tolani Alli-Balogun, has hinted on the establishment of more Government Technical Colleges across the 20 local government areas, to provide opportunities for the increasingly growing population of youths and also reduce Out-of- School children.

    Delivering his opening remarks at the Year 2024 Graduation Ceremony for Technical College Students on Tuesday, the commissioner affirmed that for the current 6-3-3-4 education system to serve the yearning and aspirations of the prevailing   socio-economic, technology and political advancement, the existing five Government Technical Colleges in Agidingbi, Ikeja ; Adesoba, Amuwo-Odofin; Ikotun, Alimosho; Epe and Ikorodu respectively, established over 40 years ago, are grossly inadequate, especially owing to the increasing demand for technical education as best alternative.

    A statement issued by the Deputy Director, Public Affair, Ministry of Basic & Secondary Education Kayode Sutton, quoted the Alli-Balogun as saying that, no nation develops without an articulated and robust technical education in all its entirety, acknowledging the critical factor for Lagos State success stories in the manifest destiny of the T.H.E.M.E.S PLUS Agenda of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu, the architect and modal of the new Lagos.

    He challenged the over 2000 graduands as they transit from students to skilled professionals, equipped to make meaningful impacts in their chosen fields and in the stimulation of economic growth.

    “As technical and vocational education graduands, you have acquired the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in your chosen careers. However, I want challenge you to think beyond your current circumstances. I want to also encourage you to dream big, to aim higher and to strive for excellence in all that you do,’’ he enthused.

    He praised the Lagos State Technical and Vocational Education Board (LASTVEB) for its tireless efforts in providing high-quality technical and vocational education to the teeming youths of Lagos State, adding that the board’s commitment to excellence is evident in the calibre of graduands being celebrated at the graduation ceremony.

  • Every child abandoned on streets a liability, says Shettima

    Every child abandoned on streets a liability, says Shettima

    Vice President Kashim Shettima has emphasised the need to take the education of the younger generation seriously, warning that every child abandoned to the streets is a liability that the nation will eventually pay for.

    He also emphasised the critical importance of prioritising girl child education in Nigeria, calling for a concerted, multisectoral approach to address gender-based barriers to quality education.

    He made this assertion at the International Conference on Girl Child Education in Nigeria, held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.

    According to Shettima, who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President (Office of the Vice President), Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, out-of-school children pose a significant threat to their peers and society at large, emphasizing that the need for creative and innovative solutions to address this issue is now more pressing than ever.

    The Vice President highlighted the crucial role education plays in stabilizing Nigeria’s economic and social order, particularly for girls, noting that education is more than a moral obligation; it is the stabilizing force of the nation’s economic and social order.

    Shettima, who cited the Gender Parity Index, which shows that girls have made significant strides in education, said girls have nearly caught up with boys at the primary school level, with a ratio of 0.99, and have surpassed them at the secondary school level, with a ratio of 1.08.

    However, Shettima cautioned that these gains are precarious unless interventions are intensified to reach every girl, especially in areas with persistent barriers.

    He emphasized that for every additional year, a girl remains in school, her future earning potential increases, infant mortality rates decrease, and poverty levels in communities fall.

    According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima said: “Each child abandoned to the streets is a liability that the nation will one day pay for.

    “We must remember that the child who remains out of school today will be a threat to their peers in the classroom tomorrow. We cannot afford to turn away from this reality, and the need for creative and innovative solutions is now more pressing than ever.

    “Her education is more than a moral obligation; it is the stabilising force of our economic and social order. For every additional year, a girl remains in school, her future earning potential increases, infant mortality rates decrease, and poverty levels in communities fall.

    “We see this reflected in the Gender Parity Index, which shows that girls have almost caught up with boys at the primary school level, with a ratio of 0.99, and even surpass boys at the secondary school level, with a ratio of 1.08.

    “However, these gains are at risk unless we intensify our interventions to reach every girl, particularly in areas where barriers remain strongest”, he said.

    According to him, government at all levels, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations (CSOs), and partners in the donor community must come together “with a singular focus: ensuring that every Nigerian child, regardless of gender or geography, receives quality education.”

    He noted that the dignity of the girl child defines every civilization, saying, “whatever reforms we adopt to build a safe space for educating the girl child must be championed from within our communities.

    “Policymaking involves all of us, and we must engage local leaders, traditional rulers, and religious figures to understand the implications of failing to educate the future of this nation.

    “The most powerful tool we can offer the girl child is education. We must enhance educational programmes that inform girls and women about their rights and the risks they face if denied the opportunity to make informed choices, especially in matters of health.”

    VP Shettima implored the government’s partners in the donor community, including the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and other multilateral institutions, to make a generational difference.

    “The dignity of the girl child defines every civilization, and today, we are bound by a duty higher than merely observing the challenges before us. We bear the responsibility of setting the tone for this nation, and there is no greater calling than to prioritise the education of the girl child and other at-risk children. This is a mirror from which we cannot afford to look away because the consequences are dire,” he said.

    Outlining statistics on out-of-school children in Nigeria, including the latest Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), the VP warned that

    The Vice President, however, assured that the National Economic Council (NEC), which he chairs, has already set out to guarantee the future of the girl child, adopting education as one of its critical thematic areas of intervention.

    He explained: “Alongside health, nutrition, and employability in a rapidly changing world, our Human Capital Development Programme is a radical response to the generational gaps in our education sector.

    “We have set the ambitious goal of achieving a 0.6 score on the World Bank’s Human Capital Index, and we understand that the road to this future involves increasing years of schooling, improving the quality of education, and ensuring that no child—especially no girl child—is left vulnerable or out of school.”

    VP Shettima regretted that the latest data further accentuates the urgency of addressing the issue, particularly in northern Nigeria, noting that “states in the North West and North East face the highest out-of-school rates.

    “We cannot allow ourselves to be held hostage by these frightening numbers. Now is the time to treat them as an emergency, and the only way forward is through state-specific action plans that address the unique needs and barriers in each region,” he added.

    Earlier, Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor, Kwara State, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, expressed concern over the rising number of out-of-school children, pervasive learning poverty, and the insufficient capacity of teachers to foster empowerment through education.

    He lamented that despite efforts to reverse the situation, the empowerment of the girl child is still hindered by inadequate access to quality education.

    He said the conference under the theme “Girl child empowerment through quality education” was therefore a clarion call on the authorities to take decisive action to reverse the trend.

    According to him, quality education remains the cornerstone of national socioeconomic development. Achieving this requires robust education financing, highly qualified teachers, comprehensive instructional materials, strong advocacy, and the provision of necessary infrastructure.

    Initiatives to re-enroll children in schools, improve learning outcomes, and secure adequate funding are essential to ensuring that every child receives a quality education.

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    “Our goals include enhancing basic numeracy and literacy, increasing primary school enrollment to reduce the number of out-of-school children, and ensuring smooth transitions from primary to secondary education. The states are resolutely committed to addressing these challenges for the betterment of our society.

    “There is renewed vigour in advocating for increased education financing by the states. The NGF champions the advocacy for effective and sustained budgetary resource allocation to the education sector at both federal and state levels. In 2022, states allocated N1 trillion (12%) of their total expenditures to education. This increased to N1.6 trillion in 2023 and further to N2.4 trillion in 2024, alongside the federal allocation of N2.2 trillion.

    Governor Abdulrazak however, noted that states including Lagos, Enugu, Kaduna, Abia, Ogun, Kano, Oyo, Jigawa, Niger, Akwa Ibom, and Kwara have made substantial contributions, with many meetings or exceeding the international benchmark of allocating at least 15% of their budgets to education.

    “These efforts underscore the positive trajectory of education financing by sub-national governments,” the NGF chairman said.

  • UNICEF, KADSUBEB distribute teaching, learning materials to 1,000 out-of-school children

    UNICEF, KADSUBEB distribute teaching, learning materials to 1,000 out-of-school children

    The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund UNICEF, in collaboration with the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (KADSUBEB), has distributed teaching and learning materials to 1,000 out-of-school children in Farar Kasa, Soba Council of the state.

     The  community had earlier donated a parcel of land for a school to be erected for their children.

     The UNICEF Chief of Field Office in Kaduna, Gerida Birukila, said their gesture was an aftermath of a medical outreach to the community where they solicited for a school for educating their children.

     She explained that UNICEF took the community’s request to KADSUBEB to discuss the possibility of building a school in the hard-to-reach community.

     Birukila lamented that the nearest school to the community was over 10 kilometres, which posed a challenge to the community, especially during the rainy season.

     She equally lamented that the community was also isolated in terms of health, being a disadvantage to it because of its location.

     Birukila urged parents to enrol their children in the school, while also harping on its maintenance.

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     Also, the Chairman, KADSUBEB, Tijjani Abdullahi, said UNICEF has been committed to supporting the state in terms of education.

     He also said that when UNICEF brought the message from the community after their medical outreach, the board was ready to collaborate with them on the school.

     He disclosed that hopefully in January 2025, they would begin building the classrooms on the donated land by the community.

     According to him, KADSUBEB has worked with different communities, where it has built over 2,000 classrooms in the last two to three years.

     Abdullahi added that some of the teachers would be arranged to begin lessons for the enrolled children in a temporary spaces

     Earlier, the Chairman of Soba LGA, Abdulmumini Bawa, restated the importance of education in every society, stating that its absence is the cause of many problems faced globally.

     According to him, 80 per cent of the problems of the world were caused by lack of education.

     Bawa described the school project as a gigantic one saying,”this cannot be done by the LGA.”

    He urged parents to enroll their children in the school, stressing that there is no longer any reason for children in the community, especially girls, to remain uneducated.

  • UNICEF, Southwest states partner to tackle out-of-school children menace

    UNICEF, Southwest states partner to tackle out-of-school children menace

    The United Nations International Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the six southwestern states have formed a partnership to fight the menace of the out-of-school in the region.

    UNICEF and the six state governments made the commitment in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, during a two-day regional stakeholders’ meeting on Out-of-School Children and Retention, Transition and Completion Model for Ekiti, Ondo, Lagos, Osun, Oyo and Ogun states.

    UNICEF Chief of Lagos Field Office, Mohammed Okorie, said the meeting was borne out of the agency’s commitment to ensure that children have free access to quality education.

    He said the dialogue focused on bringing together key stakeholders from the six states to discuss interventions, identify key performance indicators, as well as develop strategic home-grown action plans to mitigate the challenge of out-of-school children in the region.

    Okorie said the issue of out-of-school children and low retention, transition and completion in education had become an albatross that must be urgently got off the neck of the region.

    To do this, the UNICEF chief said the six state governments must develop and implement targeted intervention programmes that would address all the factors militating against free access to quality and basic education.

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    UNICEF Education Specialist Azuka Menkiti stressed the urgent need for the states to adopt retention, transition and completion models to tackle the menace of out-of-school in the region.

    She noted that a reduction in the rate of out-of-school children and retention, transition and completion could be achieved if the governments expanded access to secondary education, enhanced quality learning and strengthened support systems through the implementation of workable policy, budgeting and set up plans.

    Menkiti, who called for more funding to the education sector, especially secondary education, urged the governments to stop treating it as a second fiddle to basic and tertiary education.

    She said increased budgetary allocation for secondary education would not only significantly reposition the sector, which had suffered neglect in terms of critical infrastructures, equipment, low quality of teachers, leading to the alarming rate of the out-of-school children.

    Also, an education specialist in UNICEF, Mr. Babagana Aminu, stressed that the retention of school children had been one of the challenges in the zone.

    The specialist said strategic efforts must be geared towards creating sustainable solutions to ensure that every Nigerian child has the opportunity to complete their education and assimilate the adolescents that dropped out into the formal education.

    He added: “In terms of being out-of-school in the Southwest, almost on average, putting all six states together, according to the multiple cluster indicator survey that was conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), it shows that about eight per cent of children are out of school.

    “But that is not the most worrisome data. If I must say concerning the Southwest, most of the worrisome data has to do with retention; that is, retaining those children that must have enrolled in school, but not only retaining them. Are they completing the level of education that they have enrolled in?

  • North’s governors renew battle to end out-of-school children menace

    North’s governors renew battle to end out-of-school children menace

    North’s governors have renewed the battle against out-of-school children menace in their region.

    The governors, at a meeting in Kaduna, pledged to pursue human capital development with vigour to rid their states of the unacceptably high out-of-school children syndrome.

    Chairman of the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF),  Gombe State Governors Inuwa Yahya, expressed regret that the number of out-of-school children in the North, is the highest in the world.

    According to UNICEF, over 13 million children of primary and secondary school age are out of school in the north.

    Yahaya said: “Human capital development is very critical to the progress and prosperity of our region. It is deeply troubling that Northern Nigeria currently bears the burden of the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. This is an unacceptable reality that we must urgently address.

    “Every child deserves access to quality education and the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to succeed in today’s rapidly changing global economic landscape.”

    Yahaya described regional integration as a key pillar of the collective vision for a prosperous Northern region.

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    He called for deeper collaborations in infrastructure development, human capital enhancement, trade, security cooperation, and cultural exchange.

    Yahaya said through cooperation, Northern states could unlock the region’s full potential and achieve inclusive growth in the Nigeria’s competitive landscape.

    He added: “Regional integration remains a cornerstone of our collective vision for a prosperous northern region. Let us deepen our collaborations in infrastructure development, human capital enhancement, trade, security cooperation, and cultural exchange.  “Together, we can unlock the full potentials of our region and ensure inclusive growth and shared prosperity in the ever-competitive Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

    Urging the governors to sustain regional unity and solidarity, he reaffirmed the forum’s commitment to building support for one another during challenging times.

    He also said the governors would collaborate with the Federal Government to provide lasting solutions to security challenges plaguing the region.

    The NGF chairman explained that efforts are on to engage relevant stakeholders to chart a sustainable path towards peace and stability in the region.

    On state police, he called for a model built on cooperation and collaboration among Northern states to enhance security.

    Yahaya emphasized economic development as the long-term solution to security challenges, saying that the revitalization of the New Nigeria Development Company (NNDC) is central to the regional economic agenda.

    He urged the governors to maintain focus, sustain legacies and explore innovative ways to invest in critical infrastructure to unlock the region’s vast industrial and economic potentials.

    Yahaya  highlighted the importance of environmental sustainability, calling for holistic approaches to promote conservation and sustainable agriculture.

    The 19 governors under the aegis of the Northern Governors’ Forum (NGF) decried what it described as “unacceptable reality,” noting that no child can thrive in today’s dynamic global economy without quality education.

    The governors, who met in Kaduna, headquarters of old Northern Region, resolved to explore regional economic integration and pursue human capital development.

    In their view, regional economic development can be achieved through a regional Marshall Plan whereby the 19 states can pull resources together to develop infrastructure, agriculture, energy and solid minerals.

    At the meeting were Governors Inuwa Yahaya (Gombe,State), Uba Sani (Kaduna), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi),  Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Dikko Radda (Katsina), and Babagana Zulum (Borno).

    Deputy governors of Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Niger, Kwara and Adamawa states represented their governors while others were represented by the Secretaries to the Governments.

    Yahaya, chairman of the forum, lamented that Northern Nigeria shoulders the burden of out-of-school children globally, stressing that ”every child deserves access to quality education to thrive in today’s dynamic global economy.”

    He said there should be a moral obligation to invest substantially in education, healthcare, and social services to unleash the full potential of the youth and empower future generations.

    The host governor, Sani, reiterated the forum’s resolve to address environmental challenges threatening Northern Nigeria, saying that they exacerbate poverty and insecurity.

     He lauded the progress made in degrading criminal elements, adding that a common strategy and operational plan to tackle insecurity would be required.

    Sani proposed the establishment of a Command and Control Centre to coordinate joint efforts.

    He said: “The Federal Government under the dynamic, focused and courageous leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has demonstrated total commitment to winning the war against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of criminality. It has strengthened partnership with Northern States and sustained its support to us. But challenges still remain.

    “Today’s meeting affords us an opportunity to look at our successes and challenges so far in the war against terrorism, banditry and kidnapping and fashion new strategies for a final push against these enemies of development.”

    He added: “I also urge us to re-strategize and come to a conclusion on forging a common approach to the development of Northern Nigeria. We have been working assiduously in our respective states to address our developmental challenges, but the disturbing development indices in Northern Nigeria requires a collective and sustained effort.

    “We need to fashion a Marshall Plan for the development of Northern Nigeria. Let us pull resources together to develop our road, rail, Solid minerals and energy Infrastructure. Agriculture is another key area we can pull resources together to reinvent the economy of Northern Nigeria.”

  • Abuja hospital to partner presidency on out-of-school children

    Abuja hospital to partner presidency on out-of-school children

    A Private Abuja-based hospital is partnering with the presidency on tackling the menace of out-of-school children in the country.

    Christopher Otabor, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of Alliance Hospital, has proposed providing free healthcare and education to disadvantaged and vulnerable individuals in the country as a viable strategy for combating poverty and improving health security for the majority of Nigerians.

    Per 2023 records according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), one in three children in Nigeria are out of school, totalling 10.2 million at the primary level and 8.1 million at the junior secondary school (JSS) level.

    The global body also indicated that 12.4 million children have never attended school, and 5.9 million left school prematurely, contributing to Nigeria’s out-of-school population, which accounts for 15% of the global total.

    During a courtesy visit to the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Delu Yakubu in Abuja, Otabor emphasised that such policies would not only align with and resonate with Nigerians, to endear them to the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, it would also help address the obstacles hindering the government’s achievement of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

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    He said with statistics indicating a distressingly high number of children unable to attend school and many falling ill without the means to afford medical treatment, national development would remain elusive unless addressed comprehensively and collaboratively.

    Otabor disclosed his intention to initiate routine medical outreach programs in FCT communities alongside his team of doctors, in partnership with the Presidency, noting that through the initiative, economically disadvantaged children will be identified for adoption and scholarship opportunities.

    He said since it is public knowledge that the government cannot do everything alone, wider private-sector participation for the sake of the future of the Nigerian child has become imperative.

    According to him, if the Tinubu administration collaborates with the private sector to increase school enrolment and take care of the medical bills of the vulnerable, a lot will be achieved in tackling poverty and access to quality healthcare services in the country.

  • Senate seeks punishment for parents, guardians of out-of-school children

    Senate seeks punishment for parents, guardians of out-of-school children

    • Red Chamber pushes for mobile courts to prosecute violators of UBE Act

    The Senate yesterday urged the Judiciary in the 36 states to set up mobile courts for the enforcement of the Universal Basic Education (UBE) Act.

    The Upper Chamber noted that such enforcement would curb the growing menace of out-of-school children across the country.

    The Senate mandated its Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) to engage the Federal Ministry of Education with a view to paying special attention to the phenomenon to reduce the number of such children in the country.

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    It urged the Ministry of Education, its related parastatals and agencies, such as the UBE, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), to: “severally and jointly bring up new strategy to effectively deal with out-of-school children problem as well as rekindle the national consciousness through sensitisation and advocacy on the importance of education to the growth and development of our country and the benefits of having majority educated population.”

    The Senate urged them to “set a time limit of two years for the diligent implementation of the UBE Act, as stipulated in Section 2 (2)”.

    The Red Chamber also urged government at all levels to implement targeted intervention programmes that would address all the factors militating against free access to quality and basic education, particularly multidimensional poverty and insecurity.

    The resolutions of the Senate followed its consideration and adoption of a motion, titled: Compelling need to tackle the challenge of Out of School Children in Nigeria, during plenary yesterday.

    The motion was sponsored by Senator Idiat Oluranti Adebule (APC, Lagos West).

    In her lead debate, Adebule urged the Senate to note that the issue of out-of-school children had become worrisome, based on the 2022 Report of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

    The senator said the report showed that about 20 million Nigerian children were out of school, representing 10 per cent of the estimated Nigerian population of 200 million people.

    She said this was the highest number of out-of-school children in any country in the world today.

    “Also notes that though the Ministry of Education disputed the figure, it is generally agreed that whatever the real figures, the issue of out-of-school children has become an albatross on the neck of the Nigerian state that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency,” Adebule said.

    Senators Mohammed Monguno, Ahmad Lawan, Adams Oshiomhole, Simon Lalong, and Jibrin Barau supported the motion.

    Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged the states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to adopt the measures he adopted in Akwa Ibom State when he was governor.

    Akpabio said his administration, back then, stipulated six months imprisonment for parents or guardians of school aged children found on the streets or in the farm during school hours.

    He said: “Since education is the bedrock of all good things in any society, government at all levels should ensure that no child of school age stays out of school in Nigeria.

    “We did it in Akwa Ibom State when I was governor by enforcing compliance to the UBE Act. All parents or guardians were made to know that anybody caught not sending his or her child to school risked six months imprisonment…”