The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, has lamented the increase in number of out-of-school children in the country, saying Nigeria accounts for one in every five out-of-school children in the world, and 45 per cent in West Africa.
Mamman, who disclosed this at the launch of the national campaign on out-of-school children in Ilorin, described the ranking as disturbing and unacceptable.
The minister noted that the Federal Government was mindful of the danger the menace poses and urged all key stakeholders, including civil society organisations, community, and religious leaders, to act fast in checking the trend.
According to him, stemming the tide of out-of-school children is a challenge that the present administration is poised to tackle, bearing in mind the spiral effects of having a large number of uneducated population.
“One of the implications is that Nigeria would constantly produce miscreants, who are readymade tools in the hands of criminal gangs,” the minister stated.
He appealed to well-meaning individuals to aid the less-privileged in communities by adopting the children and youths, who are in school, and supporting their education.
Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, assured of the government’s plans to pursue policies and programmes that would make the learning environment attractive and ensure that no child is left out.
The governor said his administration’s investment in the sector is yielding results, which has continued to improve enrolment in the state. He said the government birthed an e-learning system in basic schools to impart digital skills and improve learning outcomes, while boosting the capacity of teachers for maximum service delivery.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Abdulkadir Mahe, the governor described the various steps at eradicating out-of-school children in Nigeria as unique.
Chairman, Kwara State Universal Basic Education Board, Prof. Sheu Adaramaja, said the pride of any society depends largely on the structure, status, and achievement of its basic education.
He said the administration had invested so much in school infrastructure and human capital development, as well as the welfare of teachers and non-teaching staff, to motivate higher productivity in schools.
