BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF.
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has triggered a nationwide conversation on Nigeria’s ongoing Out-of-School Children (OOSC) crisis, drawing attention from stakeholders in both public and private sectors.
The National Assembly is set to organize a national forum to explore solutions to the longstanding issue of more than 20 million out-of-school children nationwide, disproportionately affecting the Northern areas.
This response was triggered by the collective alarm sounded by stakeholders over the worsening phenomenon of out-of-school children and the dire consequences of inaction, underscoring the need for a lasting and effective solution.
With the National Assembly representing the chunk of Nigerians both at the Senate and the House of Representatives, the die is cast to find the way forward out of the unabated crises of Out of School Children (OOSC) in Nigeria.
This also came at a time when former and serving Nigeria leaders had raised concerns over similar issue , with the recent one coming from former President Olusegun Obasanjo during the celebration of the recent birthday of a former Head of state , General Yakubu Gowon Rtd.
The former President Obasanjo maintained that until and unless the out of school children (OOSC) issues are brought under control, the issue of kidnappings, Banditry, Boko Haram among other security problems would have been far from been resolved, in spite of government huge investments.
This was also against the backdrop of the Northern Governors forum NGF under the leadership of Kwara State Governor , Abdulfatah Abdulrasaq while raising the same alarm on the issue desiring adequate and concerted efforts.
They took position that the main problems of Out of School Children (OOSC) that has brought about huge insecurity, poverty and hardship among other negative variables prevalent in the country, with the northern part of the .country leading.
The south south governors also took similar position stating that despite the efforts to reverse the trend, it has become a global challenge borne of our of local problems and will require urgent attention without further delay.
Stakeholders, social crusaders, CSOs among many other local , regional and global bodies had deployed series of fora for a conscientious government efforts and private investments of the need to address the Out of School Children (OOSC) conundrum.
The Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC clamour for more supports to address out of school children (OOSC) was justified by the multiple clamour and the requirements for the attainment of SDGs Goals 4 on Quality Education for all Nigerians, in line with the decade of action Agenda, 2010-2030, just six years away.
The commission was not only clamouring, but domesticated the scourge of out of school children (OOSC) with efforts to attain the accurate numbers of the victims both from the Northern States and the Southern part of the country, consisting of 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory FCT.
Having done this through a committee that submitted the comprehensive reports , the official figure was arrived and awareness exercises along with series of programs to address the Out of School Children (OOSC) was rolled out, over two years ago and have soon swung into action.
This is at the commission under the leadership of Dr Hamid Bobboyi had exhausted all necessary impetus and action which included government policies and programs to reduce to the barest minimum the unending incidents of Out of School Children (OOSC).
Since Basic Education is the foundation of learning and expanded to the Senior Secondary School, the efforts of Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) was been corroborated by the newly established Secondary Schools Education Commission (SSEC), for a collective efforts to resolve Out of School Children (OOSC) problems.
Having done all the necessary field work and gathered the real figures that may be subject to downward or upward trend ,the stakeholders collaboration with the handlers of the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), has become germane to give the needful direction to the unabated and global approach to Out of School Children (OOSC) in Nigeria, that will be a veritable tools to all round development.
Written BY ABUBAKAR YUSUF on yus.abubakar3@gmail.com.
