Anglican bishop’s wife raises concern over out-of-school children

Dr Lydia Kemi Odedeji, the wife of the Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Lagos West, has expressed concerns about the growing number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, noting that this trend poses significant dangers for society.

Mrs Odedeji raised her concerns at the 26th annual women’s conference of the diocese, held at the Caroline Adebiyi Women Centre in Ipaja, Lagos, on Friday, August 30. She cited recent reports from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) indicating that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children globally, with 10.2 million missing primary education and an additional 8.1 million lacking access to junior secondary education.

She attributed this alarming situation largely to poverty and insecurity prevalent in various parts of the country. She urged members of the National Assembly to take greater action regarding these statistics by passing legislation aimed at drastically reducing these figures.

“Something must be urgently done to reverse this troubling trend, as we may be sitting on a keg of gunpowder,” Odedeji warned. “The consequences could be severe and could affect even those who are surrounded by security personnel.”

The Bishop’s wife, who is also the President of the Women’s Organizations in the Diocese, commended the Federal Government for initiating student loan programs for public universities. She encouraged similar initiatives to be extended to primary and secondary education in the form of free education.

In her address on the theme of the conference, “Do Not Give Place to the Enemy,” Dr. Odedeji urged parents to embrace positive parenting as a means of curbing youth crime. She emphasized the critical role of mothers in providing a Godly upbringing, stressing the importance of “catching them young for God” to foster a peaceful and productive society.

Regarding politics, she noted that campaigns for the 2027 general elections are already gaining momentum and appealed to governments at all levels to prioritize governance over politicking while advocating for increased participation of women in politics.

Earlier at the welcome service, the Bishop of the Diocese, the Rt. Reverend James Odedeji encouraged women not to let the enemy steal their joy, weaken their faith, or destroy their relationship with God. He cited various scriptures, emphasizing that Satan can only operate in a person’s life when given permission.

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The Bishop identified tactics used by the enemy, including weakness, sin, temptation, idle words, gossip, division, condemnation, fear, and doubt. He urged women to “put on the full armor of God, submit to Him, and resist the devil by guarding their hearts through prayer, walking in the light, and remaining grounded in the Word.”

Dignitaries present at the event included the wives of the bishops of Lagos Mainland, Mrs. Olabo Johnson and Mrs. Bimbola Oludipe of the Diocese of Ijebu, as well as various patrons, the Dean of the Cathedral, The Ven. Dr. Ebenezer Adewole, the administrative archdeacon in the diocese, and numerous other priests and workers within the diocese.