A Professor of Family Law at the University of Ibadan (UI), Osifunke Ekundayo, has advised government at all levels to invest in the education of children, saying this is one of the greatest investments a country can make in its economic future.

Ekundayo noted that educating the children would lead to the production of indigenous skilled manpower in the country.

While expressing concerns over the increasing number of out-of-school children, the university teacher warned that denying the children primary education is a violation of their customary rights, and advocated for the recognition of children’s right to education and a translation of the same to actual practice. 

Ekundayo, who stated this while delivering her inaugural lecture, titled: ‘Speaking up for the numerous voiceless children shut out-of-school in Nigeria: An endless odyssey?’ lamented that the sad stories in the north are reflections of a systematic exclusion.

Ekundayo asserted that quality education is critical to addressing human rights abuses and ensuring that no child is left behind.

According to her, ensuring access and completion of basic education for every child is the responsibility of the state; hence, the government must ensure that primary education is available, accessible, acceptable and adaptable for all children. 

The don, however, lamented that poverty is a recurring reason for non-completion of primary education in Nigeria.

She emphasised the need for a constitutional amendment that would incorporate a substantial right to free and compulsory basic education and empower citizens to enforce the right judicially.

“For Nigeria to comply with international human rights standards on education, the state needs to be willing to recognise the right constitutionally and prioritise its resources accordingly,” she said.

Ekundayo also called for the government’s commitment at the policy level towards ensuring that the child’s right to education is assured, recommending that the state should demonstrate this through the establishment of a sustainable financial framework.

Reminding that access to quality education would serve the developmental interests of children, Ekundayo noted that when children do not have access to quality learning, they risk losing the opportunity to develop their full potential.