THE Universal Basic Education Commission has revealed that the insurgency in the North Eastern part of Nigeria has increased the number of out-of-school children in the country from 10.5 to 13.2 million.
Executive Secretary of Universal Basic Education (UBEC), Dr Hammid Bobboyi, made this known on Thursday at the Northern Nigerian Traditional Rulers Conference on Out-of-School Children pre-conference briefing in Abuja.
Bobboyi who was represented by the Director of Social Mobilization, UBEC, Mr Bello Kaigara, quoted the figure from the Demographic Health Survey (DHS), which was conducted between 2012-2013 and published in 2015 by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Nigerian government.
He noted that the 10.5 million bandied in the media was unrealistic, saying since the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents have displaced many children majority of whom are yet the find placement in schools.
The conference designed to seek the commitment of traditional leaders in northern Nigeria to support mass sensitisation campaigns at all levels to increase demand for access to education and quality learning is scheduled to take place in Kaduna from October 10 and 11, 2018.
Nigeria is ranked as having the highest number of out of school children in the world.
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Bobboyi, “If you add the number of children that have been displaced and the increasing number of birth, you find out that our source in DHS conducted by UNICEF published in 2015 reveals the number of out of school children increased to 13.2 million.
“Over the last few years, Nigeria has been besieged by Boko Haram and lots of children have been put out of school,” he said.
He said this high number of out of school children has tremendously affected the socio-economic progress of the country.
“This is equally affecting the implementation of some education treaties that Nigeria is a signatory to,” he said.
He said it is important to engage traditional rulers who are custodians of culture to help in reducing the out of school children figure.
Emir of Argungun, Alhaji Samaila Mera, who addressed the News conference said the involvement of traditional rulers was key to solving the problems of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
He identified socio-cultural factors as a major problem confronting the challenges hindering northern children from going to school.
He added that the reasons more children are out of school in northern Nigeria was varied and rooted in the socio-cultural and economic environment barriers and bottlenecks.
The emir explained that the barriers included the cost of education, poverty and negative perceptions to formal education, saying these factors influenced the educational choices parents make in the region.
Speaking in the same vein, the Education Chief, UNICEF, Terry Durnnian, said the world would not help Nigeria to solve the problem if it does not solve it by itself.
“The number of out of school children calls for serious concern. Nigeria should take on the challenge of reducing out of school children. UNICEF will only lead and support the process of reducing out of school children,” he said.
He said Nigeria accounts for more than one in five out-of-school children and 45 per cent of out-of-school children in West Africa.
“Low budgetary allocation to education is a bane to the sector at all levels,” he said.
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