Out-of-School Children Serious Threat To Nigeria’s Future, Shettima Says

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday stressed the urgent need for girl-child education in Nigeria, warning that a child out of school today will become a threat tomorrow.

Shettima spoke in Abuja at the inaugural International Conference on Girl Child Education organised by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) in collaboration with Rivers State Government, the World Bank, Platform and Federal Ministry of Education, with the theme: “Girl Child Empowerment Through Quality Education”, the conference aimed to address barriers such as child marriage, poverty, and gender-based violence hindering girls’ education.

The Vice President represented by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, highlighted alarming statistics, noting that 25.6% of primary-age children and 29.6% of secondary-age children are out of school in Nigeria. 

According to him, educating girls is vital for societal stability and economic growth. 

He said: “We must therefore remember that the child who remains out of school today will be a threat to their peer in the classroom tomorrow, and we cannot afford to turn away from this reality, and the need for creative and innovative solutions is now more present than ever.

“The issue of girl child education is for every nation, but in our part of the world, her vulnerability is especially pronounced. Her education is more than a moral obligation. It is the stabilizing force of our economic and social order, for every additional year a girl remains in school, her future earning potential increases, infant mortality rates decrease, and poverty levels in communities fail. 

“We see this reflected in the gender parity index, which shows that girls have almost caught up with boys at the primary school level with a ratio of 0.99 and even surpassed boys at secondary school level with a ratio of 1.08. These gains are, however, at risk unless we intensify our interventions to reach every girl, particularly in areas where barriers remain strongest. 

“This is why, at the National Economic Council, we have set out to guarantee the future of a girl child, adopting education as one of our critical thematic areas of intervention, alongside health, nutrition and employability in a rapidly changing world. 

“We have set the ambitious goal of achieving 0.6 score on the World Bank’s human capital index, and we understand that the road to this objective involves increasing years of schooling, improving the quality of education and ensuring that no child, especially no girl child, is left vulnerable or out of school. 

“Our data further emphasises the urgency of addressing these issues, particularly in northern Nigeria. States in the north west and north east face the highest out of school rates in Kebbi, Zamfara, and Bauchi for example, more than 60% of primary school age children are not in school with Kebbi at a staggering 64.8%. The secondary school numbers are similarly alarming with Bauchi at 66.75% Kebbi at 63.8% and Jigawa, which is my own state, at 62.6%”.

Shettima, therefore, called for urgent action to address Nigeria’s alarming out-of-school rates, stressing that “we cannot allow ourselves to be held hostage by these frightening numbers.” 

He described the situation as an emergency, urging tailored action plans to meet the unique needs of each region.

Shettima highlighted significant increases in education funding, noting that states allocated N1 trillion in 2022, with commitments rising to N4.6 trillion by 2024. He, however, stressed the need for states to allocate 15-20% of their budgets to education, stating, “This is not just a target; it is a necessity for our children’s future.”

His words: “We cannot allow ourselves to be held hostage by these frightening numbers. Now is the time to treat them as an emergency, and the only way forward is to take specific action plans that address the unique needs and barriers in each region. 

“Education financing remains a critical aspect of our strategy in the last few years, we have seen a significant increase in education expenditure. For example, in 2022 states spent 1 trillion Naira on education, representing 12% of total expenditures. By 2024, States committed 2.4 trillion to education, while the federal government allocated 2.2 trillion. This bring the combined total allocation to 4.6 trillion naira.

“Although states have 14% of their budgets dedicated to education, we must aim higher. Our campaign to see 15 to 20% of state budget allocated to education is not just a target, but a necessity as it is the surest way to guarantee the future of our children and our nation.”

The Vice President warned that the risk posed by each out-of-school child should concern everyone, calling for a collaborative approach among federal and state governments, local authorities, and civil society

According to him: “The stakes are too high for us to hesitate. The risk posed by each out of school child should concern us all, and what we need is a concerted, multi sectoral approach. The Federal Government, states, local governments, civil society and our partners in the donor community must come together with a singular focus, ensuring that every Nigerian child, regardless of gender or geography, receives quality education.”

Shettima also stressed the dual nature of challenges and opportunities in advancing girl-child education in Nigeria saying “while the threats before us are real, so too are the opportunities to create significant change.”

He called for a collaborative approach among stakeholders to ensure that advocacy and awareness campaigns are complemented by practical interventions, particularly in increasing budget allocations for education. “Each stakeholder must adopt review mechanisms to ensure our efforts translate into real progress,” he urged.

Highlighting the importance of community involvement, Shettima stressed that reforms should be championed locally. 

“Policy making involves all of us; we must engage local leaders and religious figures to understand the implications of failing to educate our future”.

He asserted that education is the most powerful tool for empowering girls, advocating for enhanced programs that inform them about their rights and health choices. 

The Vice President also called for strengthened partnerships with international organizations like the World Bank and African Development Bank to make a generational difference in girl-child education.

Also on Thursday, governors of the 36 states of the federation under the auspices of the Nigerian Governors Forum highlighted ongoing challenges hindering the empowerment of girls in the country.

NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, noted that despite recent progress, inadequate access to quality education remains a significant barrier, exacerbated by practices such as early marriage, poverty, and gender-based violence.

He emphasised the urgent need to address these issues. “Practices such as early marriage and discrimination continue to violate girls’ rights to education in our communities,” he stated. 

Represented by the Director General of the NGF, Abdulateef Shittu, the NGF Chairman said: “Quality education remains the cornerstone of national socio- economic development. Achieving this requires robust education financing, highly qualified teachers, comprehensive instructional materials, strong advocacy, and the provision of necessary infrastructure. Initiatives to re-enroll children in schools, improve learning outcomes, and secure adequate funding are essential to ensuring that every child receives a quality education. This conference serves as a clarion call to to take decisive action.

“Despite progress, the empowerment of the girl child is still hindered by inadequate access to quality education. Practices such as early marriage, early childbearing, poverty, illiteracy, gender-based violence, and other forms of discrimination continue to violate girls’ rights to education in our communities. The NGF is deeply concerned by the rising number of out-of-school children, pervasive learning poverty, and the insufficient capacity of teachers to foster empowerment through education. This conference aims to address these critical educational crises across our states.

Also speaking, Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, underscored the critical importance of basic and secondary education in the country. 

“When governors convene to discuss issues within their domains, they are calling for collaboration,” he stated, emphasizing that delivering on educational mandates is primarily the responsibility of state governors.

Mamman highlighted the Federal Ministry of Education’s role as a policymaking body, tasked with ensuring that every child has access to free and compulsory education. “Every child, girl or boy, should be educated,” he asserted. However, he acknowledged the challenges faced, noting, “As a country, we have many children, especially girls, who are out of school.”

Under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Mamman affirmed a commitment to ensuring that no child is denied education due to lack of resources or location. 

He stressed the need for quality education that prepares children for productive participation in the economy. “We must guarantee that when children go to school, they receive quality education,” he said.

The Minister announced an upcoming framework called “Transformative Vanguard,” aimed at delivering quality education and equipping students with practical skills. “By the time a child finishes secondary school, they should have acquired skills that connect them with society,” he explained.

He expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and international organizations for their support in addressing out-of-school issues. “Once Nigeria gets it right, there is optimism from the international community,” he concluded, emphasizing the collaborative effort needed to achieve educational goals.

Deji Elumoye

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