• President moves to boost framework for social welfare programmes
• Group urges release of N2b for family planning commodities in 2024 budget
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has cautioned that failing to provide education for poor children could lead to social unrest that may threaten the stability of society, including the wealthy.
“We can afford to send our wards to private schools, but the children of the poor that we leave behind will certainly chase us out of this land,” Tinubu said at a roundtable on northern Nigerian youth development in Abuja yesterday.
Tinubu was represented by Vice-President Kashim Shettima. The event, organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, focused on the theme, ‘Empowering the Next Generation: Strategies for Sustainable Youth Development in Northern Nigeria’.
Tinubu called on Northern leaders to urgently tackle the region’s educational challenges. He highlighted the Federal Government’s prioritisation of initiatives such as the Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Commission, which aims to ensure access to quality education for all children.
“This is why we prioritise initiatives such as the Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Commission, which collaborates with all levels of government to ensure that every child has access to quality education,” Tinubu stated.
He emphasised the need for local government autonomy to improve primary education funding and urged citizens to hold leaders accountable. “Governance is a shared responsibility, and citizens must hold their leaders accountable to ensure that every child is given a fighting chance,” he added.
In his remarks, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, called on governments at all levels to increase education funding.
“Let’s see how we can help our children, take them off the street, build schools, bring qualified teachers, and involve traditional leaders across the country to really sit with the people and discuss some of these issues,” the Sultan said.
He commended the Federal Government for establishing the Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Commission, describing it as a significant step toward addressing the region’s educational crisis.
This came as Borno State governor Babagana Zulum raised the alarm over the growing cases of polygamy in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, where individuals are taking multiple wives despite lacking the means to care for their families adequately. In a viral video, Zulum revealed that in one of the camps, a man he knows arrived with one wife in 2012 but now has four wives.
“In one of the IDP camps here in Borno State, there is one person I know that came with just one wife into the camp in 2012 but now has four wives. He added three more wives inside the IDP camp,” he said.
The governor criticised politicians and religious leaders for failing to address the issue, citing fear of losing public support. “The question is, which Islamic teacher has spoken out against this? Which member has kicked against this situation?” he asked, adding that many avoid the topic to protect their political interests.
Zulum referenced the former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, who faced public backlash when he spoke out against unsustainable polygamy. He also reminded clerics and the public of Islamic teachings, noting that the Qur’an advises against marrying multiple wives without adequate resources to support them. He further called on clerics, parents, and the government to collectively tackle social issues such as street begging and polygamy.
“Let clerics come up with ideas and strategies on how to reduce street begging in the state. Let the parents amend their ways, clerics should preach, and the government will also do our best,” he urged.
However, on a positive note, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has forwarded the National Social Investment Programme Agency Establishment Amendment Bill 2024 to the Senate for legislative approval, aiming to strengthen the framework for implementing government social welfare programmes.
The bill, which seeks to enhance transparency and efficiency in welfare initiatives, was contained in a letter read by Senate President Godswill Akpabio during yesterday’s plenary session.
Explaining the rationale behind the amendment, President Tinubu highlighted the designation of the National Investment Register as the central tool for targeting beneficiaries of social investment programmes.He noted that the initiative would ensure the government’s welfare efforts are data-driven, effectively addressing the needs of Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens.
“The amendment will make our social and welfare programmes more transparent, efficient, and impactful in addressing the needs of vulnerable Nigerians,” Tinubu said. He added that the request was made in line with Section 58(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), urging the Senate to expedite consideration of the bill.
If passed, the amendment is expected to improve the management and delivery of social investment programmes, enhancing their capacity to combat poverty and inequality nationwide. The Senate has referred the bill to relevant committees for further review and anticipates deliberating on the proposal in subsequent sessions.
Also, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, endorsed calls for the establishment of a national agency to address the pressing needs of widows, dependent children, and orphans in Nigeria. He described the initiative as a critical step in alleviating the challenges faced by these vulnerable groups.
Abbas, represented by the Deputy Chairman of Women in Parliament, Blessing Amadi, made the statement during a consultative meeting in Abuja. The event, which aimed to review the proposed “Bill for an Act to Establish a National Council for Public Assistance to Widowed Persons, Dependent Children and Orphans and Related Matters,” was organised by the Widows and Orphans Empowerment Organisation (WEWE) with support from Women for Women International (WFWI), the Ford Foundation, and the Office of the Chairman of the Committee on Women in Legislature.
The bill, now revised as the “Bill for an Act to Provide a Legal Framework for the Protection of Widowed Persons, Orphans, and Dependent Children and to Establish a National Agency for Public Assistance to Widowed Persons, Orphans, and Dependent Children and Related Matters,” seeks to create a legal framework for the protection and empowerment of these groups.
Abbas highlighted the agency’s broad mandate, which includes financial assistance, legal aid for property rights, vocational training, and subsidised healthcare.
“This multi-sectoral support ensures that the agency will be equipped to tackle challenges such as social stigma and harmful traditional practices faced by widows, orphans, and dependent children,” he said.
Speaking earlier, Amadi emphasised the bill’s focus on intergovernmental and multi-sectoral collaboration to promote coordinated action across various levels of government.
Suzanne Theroux, Acting Country Director for the United States Centre for Disease Control, noted that 258 million widows worldwide face significant challenges, including denial of inheritance rights, eviction, and separation from their children. She highlighted that in Nigeria, with an estimated 15 million widows—including 1.36 million child widows—these issues are particularly severe.
“These systemic barriers leave many widows without access to financial resources such as bank accounts or credit, jeopardising family stability. Globally, one in 10 widows lives in extreme poverty, underscoring the urgency of this crisis,” she said, citing UN Women statistics.
Executive Director of WEWE, Dr Josephine Ogazi-Egwuonwu, reaffirmed the commitment of WEWE, WFWI, and the Committee on Women in Parliament to push for the passage of the revised gender bill. She disclosed that over 19 gender-related bills were not passed at the ninth National Assembly.
RELATEDLY, the Association for the Advancement of Family Planning (AAFP) called on the Federal Government to release the outstanding N2 billion allocated for family planning commodities in the 2024 budget.
The Chairman of the Management Committee, AAFP, Dr Ejike Oji, appealed during the 8th Nigeria Family Planning Pre-Conference Media Round Table, which was held yesterday in Abuja.
Oji commended the Federal Ministry of Health for releasing $4 million as counterpart funding for procuring essential family planning commodities. He, however, stressed the importance of releasing the N2 billion allocation before the end of the year.
Oji expressed concern over Nigeria’s growing population, describing it as a national crisis. He noted that 30 per cent of the country’s population is under the age of 34, with many unemployed, uneducated, hungry, and angry.
“That is why we are witnessing the ‘japa’ syndrome, with young professionals like doctors and ICT experts leaving the country. These challenges underscore the urgent need to address population growth,” he said.
Oji highlighted Nigeria’s high fertility rate, currently at 4.8 per cent, and called for efforts to reduce it to four per cent to achieve demographic transition, which could lead to a demographic dividend. He warned that the country’s population could reach 450 million by 2050 if the current fertility rate persists.
He also dispelled misconceptions about religious opposition to family planning, pointing out that both major religions encourage responsible parenting, adding, “Any man who cannot take care of his family is worse than an infidel.” Oji announced that the Nigeria Family Planning Conference (NFPC) would be held in Abuja from December 5 to 6, 2024.
The conference, themed ‘Sustaining Commitments for Family Planning within the Nigeria Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative; Advancing Progress toward Achieving FP2030 Goals,’ will bring together stakeholders to discuss progress and chart a way forward.
The biennial event, organised by the AAFP in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMOH&SW) and other partners, reviews developments in family planning and proposes strategies for improvement.
