Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has raised an urgent alarm regarding the rising number of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria, describing it as a pressing issue that requires immediate intervention from all relevant stakeholders.
Speaking during the commissioning of road infrastructure projects in Bauchi State on Sunday, Obasanjo emphasized that the alarming trend poses a significant risk of breeding a new generation of Boko Haram insurgents.
“If left to escalate,” Obasanjo warned, “this development provides a fertile and mature ground for recruiting a new generation of Boko Haram insurgents.”
He stressed the importance of collective action, urging that “all hands must be on deck to tackle this challenge” before the region regresses to the traumatic era marked by the emergence of the militant group, which has inflicted severe suffering in the North-East.
During the event, Bauchi State Governor Sen Bala Mohammed Abdulkadir reported that his administration has successfully reduced the number of out-of-school children by approximately 700,000 from the 1.5 million it inherited in 2019. While Obasanjo commended the Governor for this achievement, he underscored the necessity for sustained and collaborative efforts to combat the escalating crisis.
“The Northern region’s high number of out-of-school children creates a vast pool of potential recruits for insurgent groups, undermining national security and perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality,” Obasanjo stated, highlighting the far-reaching implications of the education crisis.
In response, Governor Mohammed took pride in the strides made under his leadership, asserting that various measures and proactive solutions have led to a 50% reduction in out-of-school children over the past five years.
He noted that this progress was achieved through strategic collaborations with relevant agencies and International Development Partners operating within the state’s education sector.
The governor assured attendees that efforts are being intensified to ensure that the remaining out-of-school children are effectively reintegrated into the educational system, emphasizing the critical need to address this issue to secure a brighter future for the youth of Northern Nigeria.
