The Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiubahas linked the number of children out of school to the challenges of growth and development of the countries.
He said getting every child aboard the “education ship is a national priority that must be taken seriously by all stakeholders.”
An educated population, he said, is a fundamental recipe for development and peace in any society.
The minister, who made this statement on Thursday in his opening speech at the national campaign on out-of-school children in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi state, said no nation can make significant progress with a large number of illiterate youth.
Basic education is officially free and compulsory in Nigeria, as stipulated by the Universal Basic Education Act (2004).
The number of children out of school in Nigeria is currently estimated at more than 10 million, with fears that more children may drop out of school as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns and increased insecurity in regions with the largest existing number of out of school. School children.
Kebbi is home to some 900,000 out-of-school children, according to Governor Abubakar Bagudu.
Last year, UNICEF estimated that more than a million children in Nigeria are afraid to go back to school.
However, Mr. Nwajiuba maintained that the federal ministry of education is determined to ensure that all out-of-school children of school age return to complete their basic and secondary education and possibly transition to tertiary institutions.
He called for synergy between agencies, especially the communities where these children exist, to ensure they receive the necessary support to achieve education, adding that this is the only way that “we can achieve a better, trustworthy, developed society.” and peaceful.”
The minister called on individuals and groups to take responsibility for the education of children, especially orphans who have no one to take care of their educational needs.
He also called on state governments to intensify their efforts to support the federal government in educating these children, adding that education is a collective responsibility.
The minister also expressed his sorrow for the remaining 14 students who were abducted from the Federal Government College, Birni Yauri in 2020.
“My heart and soul goes out to all the Nigerian children who are still in captivity. I am with the parents in the circumstance. The government will continue to do everything possible to free our children who are detained for what they do not know,” the minister said.
In his speech, Governor Bagudu, represented by State Government Secretary Babale Yauri, said that the state is fully committed to eradicating the phenomenal out-of-school children.
He said that his government has committed more than N15.5 billion for the construction of 552 blocks of classrooms, wells, toilets and furniture in the state.
He added that 42 nomadic schools have been built to provide access to quality education for the children of nomadic and migrant fishermen, and also noted that 167 basic literacy centers for non-formal and adult education have been established in the 21 areas of local state government.