…Describes menace as time bomb
Worried by the alarming number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, the Senate on Wednesday called for emergency National Summit to diffuse what it described a time bomb .
Senate’s resolution to this effect followed exhaustive debate on report presented by its Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) on the compelling need to tackle the challenge of out-of-school children in the country.
In the report presented by chairman of the committee, Senator Lawal Usman (PDP Kaduna Central), governments at all levels in Nigeria, need to urgently address the ever increasing number of out-of-school children in the country which according to it, is above 20million now.
He said: “Senate at its sitting on Wednesday, 20th March, 2024 debated a Motion moved by Senator Oluranti Idiat Adebule (APC Lagos West), on “the Compelling Need to tackle the Challenge of Out-of-School Children in Nigeria”, and mandated the Committee on Education (Basic & Secondary) vide its referral, to engage the Federal Ministry of Education, with a view to paying special attention to the issue of Out-of-School children, with the ultimate objective of drastically reducing the number.
“The motion was predicated on the disputable worrisome report by the United National Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), that about 20 million Nigerian children, which represents 10% of the estimated Nigerian population of 200 million, are out of school.
“The motion equally exposed the following imminent social impacts of the out-of-school children in the Nigerian State which demand urgent intervention.
“Some of the imminent social impacts of out of school children are (i) inability to holistically achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals especially to ensure inclusiveness in learning opportunities and equitable quality education for all, (ii) Easy targets and recruitment into criminal gangs, banditry and terrorism which are the bedrock of incessant insecurity in Nigeria; and (iii) Distortion in the achievement of the national economic justice and inclusiveness amongst others
“Out-of-School Children (OoSC), is a national phenomenon especially with the varied forms of insecurity, kidnapping and banditry all over the country, number and status of which varies from state to state, but the focus on tackling it over the years has been on few states; and there has not been synergy of roadmaps with the state governments on way out.
“Addressing the issue of Out-of-School Children in Nigeria demands concerted joint efforts of governments at all levels (national, state and local), traditional rulers, parents, developmental partners, civil society organizations, and all stakeholders in the education sector.”
Virtually all the Senators who contributed to debate on the report, call for urgent actions from stakeholders at all levels to on way out of the problem .
Specifically, the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin, in his contribution said the problem is very serious and worrisome, requiring very urgent and emergency attention by all stakeholders.
“20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria is a serious problem that must not be left unattended to.
“It is a kind of time bomb, and once it explodes, it will consume us, particularly the Northern part of this country. The solution to it, is beyond the federal government alone or any tier of government,” he said.
The Senate, thereafter, accordingly resolved as moved by Senator Seriake Dickson (PDP Bayelsa West), called for national summit on the menace.
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio in his remarks, said the summit was very important for very urgent actions against the menace.
“We need to create a better future for our children by not allowing them to be out of school in childhood for adulthood in banditry, Boko Haram insurgency and all manner of criminalities,” he said.