Out-of-school children: Senate seeks national summit to tackle crisis

The Nigerian Senate has called for a national summit to address the alarming increase in the number of out-of-school children across the country.

This decision followed the presentation of a report by Lawal Usman, Chair of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary), during a session on Tuesday.

According to a 2022 report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, with over 20 million children lacking access to formal education.

This troubling statistic has heightened concerns about the future of the country’s youth, prompting a call for urgent action.

While presenting his report, Senator Usman stressed the need for a collaborative effort between the federal and state governments to address the crisis. He highlighted the necessity for joint action to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to basic education.

During the debate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan, representing Ogun West, expressed concerns over the inadequate efforts by state governments.

He pointed out that while the federal government has been investing heavily in universal basic education, many state governments have failed to provide their counterpart funding, which has hampered progress.

“The federal government is doing a lot, but the sub-nationals are not providing their counterpart funds. We cannot put all the responsibility on the federal government. States need to step up,” ” Olamilekan noted.

The Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, described the situation as a “ticking time bomb,” warning that if left unaddressed, the issue would have devastating consequences, particularly in northern Nigeria.

He called for immediate reorientation efforts, emphasizing that Islam does not condone children roaming the streets aimlessly. “Stakeholders need to sit down and find solutions before it’s too late,” Jibrin urged.

Senator Adamu Aliero, representing Kebbi North, echoed the need for a national summit, suggesting that the federal government engage directly with state governments to develop long-term solutions to the crisis.

“Nigeria is the only country with over 20 million out-of-school children. A national conference is essential,” Aliero said.

In his contribution former Niger Governor, Sani Bello, said students in his state were sometimes killed in school whenever they went to the bushes to defecate.

He said, ” We needed over N1bn to build classrooms and many of us couldn’t afford it so we left it. We have had situations where students were beaten by snakes while defecating in bushes.”

In his contribution, Senator Seriake Dickson, former governor of Bayelsa State, stressed the need for a holistic approach to addressing education.

After making his input, he advised the Senate to consolidate the committee’s report into one key recommendation: to organize a national summit on education, specifically focused on the out-of-school children crisis.

Dickson further proposed that a meeting between President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the Senate should precede the summit to ensure thorough planning.

“In view of the seriousness of the out-of-school syndrome and its implications for development, the Senate calls for a national summit on education after meeting with leaders of the executive,” Dickson said.

His motion was seconded by the Deputy Senate President.

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, endorsed the recommendation, stating that there was an urgent need for thorough oversight and proactive efforts to address the underlying issues in the education system.

Akpabio expressed frustration over the poor conditions in many primary schools across the country, sharing disturbing accounts of students sitting in flooded classrooms, using chairs they had brought from home.

“We must take education oversight seriously. It’s not enough to allocate funds; we need to go out, visit these schools, and address the problems we see,” Akpabio said.

He further emphasised the importance of accountability, suggesting that the requirement for counterpart funding should be reconsidered if it was hindering states from accessing critical educational funds.

Akpabio said, “Our committees in the Senate should be able to do more. We need to visit these schools, take pictures, and make periodic reports. We must have quarterly reports from committees so we can assess progress.

“We need retreats, roundtable discussions with stakeholders. In some states, children sit on the floor to receive an education.

“In others, classrooms are flooded, and students bring chairs from home. We must focus on improving the conditions for these children. Without proper oversight, simply allocating funds is not enough.”

He called on his colleagues to take the oversight role seriously and to consider removing counterpart funding requirements if they continue to delay access to much-needed educational resources.

“This issue of out-of-school children is one of the most important and a major source of insecurity in this country,” Akpabio warned.
He also said, “Twenty million children out of school is a ticking time bomb. These children are potential bandits, and if we don’t address this issue, we are endangering the future of this country.”

Akpabio recounted the impact of out-of-school children on insecurity, particularly in northern Nigeria, where many abandoned houses and communities have been overrun by bandits. He emphasized the importance of addressing the root cause of these security challenges by ensuring children have access to quality education.

“As a governor, I declared free and compulsory education, built over 6,000 classrooms, and imposed consequences for parents who refused to send their children to school. If we replicate such measures nationally, we can make significant progress.

If states are unable to access UBEC funds due to counterpart funding requirements, we must remove these barriers and take decisive action to secure the future of our nation,” Akpabio said.

He concluded by calling on the Senate to take the issue seriously and to work together with all stakeholders to find lasting solutions. “We must prioritize education. This is our future, and we cannot afford to fail.”