Hope for 13m out-of-school children as Reps chart way forward

Worried by the increasing rate of out-of-school children in Nigeria, members of the green chamber has commenced a special plenary session on the plight of out of school children in Nigeria, to find lasting solutions to the social malady.

Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila said that during the special session, members of the House will come up with resolutions that would address the rising spate of out-of-school children.

The special plenary session is in fulfilment of a promise by the speaker at first plenary in 2020 that the House will dedicate a session with nothing else on the order paper but to consider the issue of Nigeria’s 13.3 million out-of-school children estimated by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC).

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) estimates that about 10.5 million of our nation’s children aged between five (5) and fourteen (14) years are not in school. The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) puts the number higher at 13.2 million.

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“Personally, I believe these numbers to be low estimates, but regardless of which number you accept, we cannot escape the conclusion that we have on our hands a huge problem, a clear and present danger the consequences of which are too dire to ignore,” said Gbajiabiamila

There will also be an open session where members will also focus on the fate of Almajiri children in Nigeria which forms the majority of out-of-school. All members are to submit proposals for consideration, debate, and adoption by the House.

The Speaker had assured that the deliberations and resolutions on this important issue would not be allowed to languish unattended, adding that invitations were extended to the various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of government who have roles to play while the participation of non-governmental organisations who have a proven track record of successful interventions in the education has been sought.

“Their fate is inextricably bound to the fate of Nigeria. If we work to give them a future of prosperity and progress, we will achieve the same outcomes for Nigeria. If we condemn them to a future of deprivation and exploitation, that too will be our collective fate”, the Speaker had stated,” he said