Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has sounded the alarm on Nigeria’s growing number of out-of-school children, citing it as a significant security threat to the nation’s future.
He warned that the staggering 20 million children not in school are vulnerable to recruitment by extremist groups like Boko Haram and bandits in the next decade or so.
Obasanjo made these remarks in Bauchi during the commissioning of projects undertaken by Governor Bala Mohammed.
“Let me emphasise what we want to do, human capacity building, education and human capacity building very important. World Bank says we have over 20 million children who should be in school that are not in school for a population of about 230 million.
“So, that is 10 per cent of our population that should be in school that are not in school. Governor, your royal highnesses, brothers and sisters, that is recruitment for future Boko Haram, nobody needs to tell us that,” Obasanjo said.
World Bank says we have over 20 million out-of-school children. That is 10% of our population… that is recruitment for future Boko Haram or whatever form of banditry it will be.
He said that not equipping the children to develop their innate ability and capacity leaves them for Boko Haram and bandits to exploit.
“Apart from being that 10 per cent of our population are not being equipped to develop their innate ability and capacity to be able to serve themselves, their family, their community, we are also preparing them to be recruited in 10 to 15 years’ time for whatever form of Boko Haram it will be that time, whatever form of banditry it will be.”
