° Says Niger records highest number of out of school children In North Central zone
Niger State Governor, Mr. Abubakar Sani Bello has raised the alarm that seven out of the 25 local government areas in the state are frequently under attack by bandits and terrorists.
This, the Governor pointed out, has led to the increase in the number of out Schoolchildren in the state which he puts at over 298 962, the highest in the North Central Geo-political zone of the country.
The Governor was speaking at the flag-off of the North Central campaign against out-of-school children in Minna yesterday, saying that the development was embarrassing.
Although the Governor did not disclose the names of the affected local government’s areas, recent reports indicated that Shiroro, Munya, Rafi, Magama, Mariga Mashegu, and Wushishi are among the LGAs that have been incessantly attacked by bandits.
The Commissioner for Education, Hajia Hanatu Jibrin Salihu, gave the figure of out-of-school children in the state at the forum saying, before 2015, the figure was 513, 963 children, but because of several interventions, it has dropped to 298, 292 children.
Bello said there is a nexus between the number of out of school children and insecurity that has plagued the seven local governments in the state saying:” When we talk about out of Schoolchildren, the question begging for answer is why are there so many of Schoolchildren, obviously our size and current security situation plays a major role
“To access Some schools in the state, some pupils trek 5- 10 kilometers to get to schools, with the security situation, if such a pupil is a girl no parent will dare it especially when 10 to 11years old girls are being raped”,
the Governor declared.
Bello admitted that part of the security challenges confronting the North was due to a large number of out of school children who are now constituting a menace to the society adding that: “Most of the children of the Fulani herders do not attend school, therefore, they become vulnerable for people to recruit into banditry, invariably there is a nexus between school dropout and security challenges”.
He, therefore, appealed to the Federal Government and other development partners to redouble efforts at making education accessible to more Nigerian children, adding that though:” education is not cheap, but it is an investment we must do if we are to secure the future of our children and Nation”.
Niger State Commissioner for Education Hajia Hanatu Jibrin Salihu, in an address, said: ” I am happy to state here that the number of School Children has reduced from 513, 963 to 298, 292 for the basic education sector in 2020″ explaining that out of this number, 128, 342 are female and 161, 750 are males.
Salihu said efforts are being made to even to further reduce the figure.
” For us in Niger State, our commitment to the drastic reduction of the number of out of school children is a priority that we have set to accomplish at all cost” but lamented that: ” The modest achievements recorded in recent times is being threatened by the insecurity confronting the state”.
In an address, the Minister of State for Education Mr. Chukwemeka Nwajiuba said the FG is worried about the staggering number of school children in the country and the danger it poses to the future of the nation.
Nwajiuba, therefore, called on all stakeholders to join hands with the government to stamp out the trend, urging Niger state to sustain the momentum in its school enrolment programme in the 25 Local government areas.
” No Nation can make meaningful progress with a large percentage of its children out of school, it is not just a social phenomenon, but an economic characteristic. This is why the FG wants out of school children to return to school not just to complete their basic education, but to go further in their education”.
