A renowned Professor of Law, Osifunke Ekundayo, has disclosed that Nigeria now tops the list of out-of-school children globally, with a population of 10.2 million children of primary school age.

Ekundayo, who disclosed this while delivering his inaugural lecture, titled: “Speaking up for the numerous voiceless children shut out of school in Nigeria: An endless odyssey,” lamented the increasing rate of out-of-school children nationwide, accusing the government of insensitivity.

“It is estimated that one in every five out-of-school children around the globe is in Nigeria. In addition, only 61 per cent of children between the ages of six and 11 attend primary school regularly.”

The don identified factors such as poverty, decline in high teacher-pupil ratio, lack of required training for teachers, dilapidated infrastructure, local customs, culture and religion, internal conflicts, and poor budgetary allocations, as well as corruption and lack of transparency and accountability, as responsible for the decline. As a way out, Ekundayo called for the amendment of the 1999 Constitution, which would clarify child education as a fundamental right.

“It has been acknowledged that the right to education is essential for people to be aware of the other rights they are entitled to, to exercise and empower them.

States are the principal duty bearers and are under an obligation to fulfil, respect and protect all human rights for all individuals within their jurisdiction.

“The right to education may be described as an empowerment right, as it empowers an individual to take charge of his life. It is also a multiplier right, as the degree of its effective implementation impacts the enjoyment of other human rights.”