File photo: Out-of-school children
Prominent northern leaders have blamed the scourge of out-of-school children on the failure of state and local governments to make sufficient investments in basic education.
The leaders, who spoke in separate interviews with Sunday PUNCH, also identified indoctrination and insurgency as some of the factors responsible for the millions of out-of-school children in Nigeria particularly in the northern region.
According to 2023 statistics from the United Nations Children’s Fund, there are 10.2 million and 8.1 out-of-school children at the Primary and Junior Secondary School levels respectively, making Nigeria home to the highest number of children out of school in the world.
Speaking to our correspondent in Abuja, a member of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Doguwa, lamented the state of basic education in the country, noting that though the Federal Government has done a lot in reviving education at that level, state governments ought to take more responsibility.
He said, “While we have federal agencies of government such as the Universal Basic Education Commission meant to complement the efforts of the state governments; the fact remains that the state governors must be held accountable and responsible for effective basic education administration in Nigeria.
“It is disheartening looking at the state of increasing devastation in our school administration. Lack of proper funding and appropriate attention are the causal factors leading to the menace of out-of-school children, especially in the northern part of Nigeria. In my opinion, and by the principles of the federal democracy that we are operating today; most of the things to do with the administration and sustenance of basic or primary education is a constitutional responsibility of the state and local government.
“We urge the state governments and governors to also discharge their responsibility by their spelt our jurisdiction as an independent tier of government by allowing the local government councils to also function accordingly.”
Doguwa who represents Doguwa Tudun Wada Federal Constituency, Kano State also noted that the rise in insecurity in the North is partly to blame on the growing number of children roaming the streets, rather than being in school.
“It’s worthy of note that even the rising spate of insecurity in the North is not unconnected with the issue of children and students dropping out of school and getting absorbed in perpetrating criminal activities,” he added.
He however lauded the Federal Government’s effort to address the challenge, saying, “As a parliament, we have been supporting the Federal Government through the creation of necessary legal frameworks to enable the Tinubu administration to address some of these teething educational problems.”
He listed the student loan scheme, the Federal Government school feeding programme and the enactment of the Almajiri School Commission Bill as some of the interventions championed by the National Assembly to address the issue.
Also speaking, the National Chairman, Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Mr Yerima Shettima, said although the introduction of student loan scheme by the President Tinubu-led government is a welcome development, there are fears the policy may not address the issue headlong.
He said, “While the Federal Government’s introduction of a student loan scheme aims to alleviate some of the challenges, apprehensions regarding its implementation and potential for misuse persist. Therefore, a multi-faceted approach is imperative to effectively address the scourge of out-of-school children in the North.”
He continued, “The menace of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria demands immediate and comprehensive action. While the Federal Government’s student loan scheme is a step in the right direction, it is essential to adopt a more holistic approach that addresses the root causes of educational disenfranchisement. By ensuring accessibility, engaging communities, leveraging technology, and establishing robust oversight mechanisms for financial initiatives, Nigeria can significantly mitigate the challenges surrounding out-of-school children.
“It is imperative that all stakeholders—government, civil society, and families—collaborate to create a future where every child has access to quality education, thereby shaping a brighter path for the nation as a whole.”
On his part, former Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Anthony Sani, identified religious beliefs as a contributing factor to the failure of some children to embrace Western education.
“The issue of out-of-school-children in the North is due to some resistance pushed by religious belief which has manifested in Boko Haram. There is also the dearth of sufficient resources at the disposal of state governments.
“Savings from the removal of fuel subsidy can be put in a trust fund for the exclusive use of the development of human capital. I say this because the current management of palliatives for over a year now has not yielded the desired result,” he said.
