Tinubu alarmed by Nigeria’s ’20 million’ out-of-school children, suggests solutions… 

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday expressed alarm at the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, his spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, wrote in a statement.

”We must address this issue by establishing more schools, recruiting teachers, and providing at least one meal a day for the school children, aligning with the progressive ideology we aim to pursue,” Mr Tinubu told members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of his party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

Nigeria has about 20 million children of school age who are out of school, UNESCO estimated last year, although the Nigerian government argued that the actual figure may be lower. Only India has more children out of school than Nigeria, according to the UN agency.

The number of out-of-school children in Nigeria is made worse by the insecurity that continues to ravage many communities in northern Nigeria, displacing thousands of people from their homes and leading to the closure of schools.

Mr Tinubu’s proposed solution needs the support of state governments to work. Most of Nigeria’s public primary and secondary schools are owned by state and local governments who are also responsible for staffing and running such schools.

Other issues discussed

at his meeting with the APC leadership, President Tinubu also said democracy must be progressive and inclusive with a primary focus on pragmatically addressing poverty through the provision of job opportunities for youths and quality education for all Nigerian children.

He told the APC leaders who visited him in Lagos that he supports the establishment of the National Institute of Progressive Studies by the party.

The president noted that the institute is expected to conduct diligent research and educate all party members on the principles of democracy and good governance while providing a distinct identity for the party.