He noted that the risks posed by each child out of school should involve all stakeholders, and that “what is needed is a coordinated, multisectoral approach.”
The Federal Government reiterated its determination to reduce the incidence of out-of-school children through enhanced budget allocation and continued advocacy.
Vice President Kassim Shettima expressed this determination at the International Conference on Girl Child Education organized by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) in Abuja on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the theme of the conference was “Empowerment of the Girl Child through Quality Education”.
Shettima, who is acting on behalf of the President’s Chief of Staff Ibrahim Hadeziah, said the statistics on Nigeria’s out-of-school children were a stark reminder of the “urgency of this task”.
He noted that the risks posed by each child out of school should involve all stakeholders, and that “what is needed is a coordinated, multisectoral approach.”
He emphasized the need for federal, state, local, civil society, and donor community partners to come together with a single focus.
He said the latest multi-indicator cluster survey showed that 25.6 percent of primary school children were not attending school.
“And this rate rises to 29.6 percent for children of secondary school age, and for every child abandoned on the streets, the nation will one day pay the price.
“Therefore, we must remember that a child who remains out of school today is a threat to his or her friends who will be in the classroom tomorrow.
“And we cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this reality, and the need for creative and innovative solutions is greater than ever.
“Girls’ education issues exist in every country, but in our region, girls are especially vulnerable.”
Shettima said the National Economic Council (NEC) is committed to improving the future of the girl child in a rapidly changing world by adopting education as one of the key thematic areas of intervention, along with health, nutrition and employability. He stated that he has set out to ensure that
“We have set an ambitious goal of achieving a score of 0.6 on the World Bank Human Capital Index.
“And we know that the path to this goal includes increasing years of schooling, improving the quality of education, and ensuring that children, especially girls, are not left vulnerable or out of school. I understand that it is necessary.
“Our data further highlights the urgency of addressing these issues, especially in northern Nigeria.”
He said out-of-school rates were highest in Kebbi, Zamfara and Bauchi states in the North West and North East.
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“For example, more than 60 percent of elementary school children do not attend school, and in Kebi’s case, that number is an astonishing 64.8 percent.
“The figures for secondary schools are equally alarming, with Bauchi state at 66.75%, Kebbi state at 63.8% and my state, Jigawa state, at 62.6%.
“We cannot allow ourselves to be held hostage to these frightening numbers, and now is the time to treat them as an emergency.
“And the only way forward is to develop concrete action plans that address each region’s unique needs and barriers.”
Mr Shettima said education financing has remained an important aspect of the federal government’s strategy in recent years.
“We are seeing a significant increase in education spending.For example, in 2022, states spent 1 trillion naira on education, which is 12 per cent of the total expenditure.”
“By 2024, states will inject N2.4 trillion into education and the Federal Government has allocated N2.2 trillion. This brings the total allocation to N4.6 trillion.
“States allocate 14 percent of their budgets to education, but we need to aim even higher.
“Our campaign to allocate 15 to 20 percent of the national budget to education is not just a goal, it is a necessity, as it is the surest way to secure the future of our children and our nation.”
(South)
