Education Crisis: Nigeria’s 20million out-of-school children worrisome, demand urgent action – Babalola

Former Kwara State governorship aspirant, Pastor Sunday Adebayo Babalola, has expressed deep concern over the alarming number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, describing the situation as a debilitating crisis. According to a 2022 report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Nigeria has 20 million out-of-school children, the highest globally.

 

Speaking in Lagos after receiving the ‘Outstanding Philanthropist Award 2024’ from Progressives Media, Babalola praised President Bola Tinubu for pledging to address the issue but urged him to follow through with actionable measures. Tinubu had made the promise during a dialogue with French President Emmanuel Macron at the Palais des Élysées in Paris.

 

Babalola called on all levels of government, corporate organizations, and donor agencies to increase funding for education, improve infrastructure, enhance teacher remuneration, and provide adequate learning materials. He highlighted the challenges in northern Nigeria, where school attendance rates are critically low, and emphasized the link between lack of education and rising insecurity in the country.

 

The Bayo & Bunmi Babalola Foundation (BBBF), which Babalola co-founded in 2014, has awarded scholarships to over 3,115 students, renovated schools, and provided boreholes in underserved communities. He reiterated the foundation’s commitment to promoting education, stating that its efforts are driven by the belief in helping others and positively impacting lives.

 

During the award event, winners of the Seyi Tinubu National Essay Competition were also recognized. Miss Maryam Bashir from the University of Abuja won the grand prize of ₦500,000, with Miss Happiness David from Akwa Ibom and Mr. Segun Adeleye from Lagos receiving ₦300,000 and ₦200,000 as the first and second runners-up, respectively.

 

Babalola urged the federal government to allocate sufficient resources for education in the N47.9 trillion 2025 budget and advocated for a curriculum that incorporates global trends such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and entrepreneurship while maintaining core academic values. He also called for efforts to instill moral values in students and mitigate the negative effects of social media.

 

Describing education as the bedrock of societal development, Babalola stressed the need for collective efforts to address the out-of-school crisis. “No country can thrive without functional, efficient, and accessible education for its citizens,” he said.