The 20 million children reported to be currently out-of-school in Nigeria is worrisome and distressing, the Chief Executive Officer of the international charity, IA-Foundation, Mrs Ibironke Adeagbo, has said.
Mrs Adeagbo described the “huge number of Nigeria’s out-of-school kids as “worrisome’’, pleading with the Federal Government to rise to the challenge immediately.
On September 1, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), released a research report that put the current figure of out-of-school children in Nigeria at about 20.2 million – the highest in the world.
But the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, had earlier on August 18, announced that Nigeria was turning the corner in its out-of-school crisis.
He said that the number of out-of-school children in the country had dropped drastically in recent years from 10.5 million to about 6.9.
However, the issue of high number of out-of-school children has been a contentious issue in Nigeria in recent times.
British born Adeagbo, who has been campaigning for education rights for Nigerian children, in ma interview with journalists on Sunday in Abuja pleaded with the Federal Government to give priority attention to education to secure the future of the country.
“Education in Nigeria is in a state of emergency. Government must proffer strategic solutions to save the future of our children,’’ she said.
