Securing their Future

The theme of this International Children’s Day celebration is “A better future for every child”. With over 10.5 million children out of school in Nigeria, can we say that the children day is worth celebrating for the Nigeria child? Malnutrition, child molestation, lack of access to qualitative education and utter violation children's rights are the challenges that Nigerian children are facing. As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark the International Children's Day celebration, Olugbenga Adebiyi, Editor, School Connect Magazine in this article examines the state of the Nigerian children amidst the socio-political challenges, insecurity, bad leadership, corruption among others, with the hope that their future will be secured in the nearer future. 

Grace, a seven year old lad clad in a pale brown dress with unkempt hair was writing on the floor with her bare hand. The sunlight of the Friday afternoon gave her hope. She was all alone enjoying herself sitting on the parched ground around the ever-busy Oba Ogunnisi road, Ojodu-Berger axis.

Looking into her white bright eyes, what one could see is hope for the bleak future for children in whose their commonwealth and hope is almost scuttled by the present crops of greedy corrupt selfish leader.

 When I asked what she was doing there all alone, she said, “Nobody was at home”. On further questioning about her parents and other siblings, the poor girl replied “They have gone to sell something”. On question about why she was not in school, she said “I no get papa or mama. I know no where dem dey”, she spoke in Pidgin English.

Abdullahi Ukmar, a five year old boy is a well-known face on the Maryland Junction. On sighting a black jeep, he chases the car with a bid to making his daily bread. The mother, Asana in her mid-fifties clutches, a nine-month old baby who was tugging the mom for breast milk.

Olane, Nkechi and Obinna had set out for the business of the day. Everyday they trekked a long distance from Ogba to Ikeja to make some sales for their mom as a groundnut seller. For them schooling is really out of it as the proceed to make from hawking groundnut is enough to give them a sort of livelihood. The only challenge is that sometimes, the KAI officials usually raid them.

Toheed, a nine year rold pupil with a vitamin K deficiency was having a nice time with his friend Kunle with a small round white leather ball. Despite his health condition, with his knocked knee, Toheed was a good player. He waited for Kunle to come for the ball as he held it on his leg, as he approached him, he passed the ball under his toros and run after it, he made another passes as he smiled while the other children watched in amazement.

May twenty-seventh is a day set aside globally to celebrate children – rich or poor; black or white; educated or illiterate. This day is usually observed with a lot of fun fare and celebration as at is a public holiday for school pupils. But the question is “has this celebration have impact in the lives of the children?” “What is the government doing on the safeguarding of the children from sexual harassment, child molestation, education exclusion and securing their future?”

This year’s theme for the International Children’s Day celebration is, “A BETTER FUTURE FOR EVERY CHILD”. This theme prompts a lot of questions for every right-thinking Nigerians. First, “Is it possible to have a better future for every child in Nigeria? "I am not pessimist. I am asking because of the present situation in Nigeria. With children’s policy not in place and with utter disregard for children’s right, it is doubtful if we can have a future for the Nigerian’s child.

With about 10.5 million children out of school in Nigeria, this is the highest rate in the world according to a UNICEF report of 25th January, 2022. The figure indicates that one-third of Nigerian children are not in school, and a one in five out-of-school child in the world is a Nigerian.

According to the Peter Hawkins, the UNICEF Representative in Nigeria, “Millions of Nigerian children have never set foot in a classroom – and this is a travesty. Perhaps, equally tragic is the high number of children who make it into a classroom, but never make the transition from primary school to secondary – thereby cutting off their chances for a secured future”.

He continued further, “It is estimated that 35 percent of Nigerian children who attend primary school do not go in to attend school. Half of all Nigerian children did not attend secondary school in 2021.

“As we celebrate the International Day of Education today amid concerns in much of the world about the impact of COVID-19, on education, we must take a close look at what is happening to our children in Nigeria and the opportunities they are missing out on when they lack education”.

“We need to look towards communities – leaders, parents, teachers, caregivers – and together find the best strategies to secure that all children enroll into school, have access to continuous learning and ensure they emerge with quality skills that equips them for a prosperous future”.

Talking about gender equality in this regard, Hawkins said, “All girls have much to offer to find solutions to Nigeria’s challenges – and we have to nurture their creativity and innovations”. He said.

He further advised that Nigeria’s education system could be transformed through adequate funding to ensure safety in schools, the application of gender- responsive policies, including recruitment of female teachers and improved facilities for girls; the creation of multiple and flexible learning pathways for students such as digital and transferrable skills learning; the integration of fundamental numeracy and literacy in Quranic schools; and teachers training in the latest methodologies”.

Ahead of the children’s day celebration, the first lady of Lagos state, Dr. Mrs. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu has charged all parents in the state to pay close attention to their wards and create an enabling environment for them as this will go a long way to addressing social ills towards creating a better future for the children.

Still stressing further on the import of education for every child in the state, she said, “There is no question about the fact that education remains the bedrock of the society and potent tool for modernization and transformation of the human mind.

“As we celebrate this year’s children day, I appeal to our teachers to recommit and key into the vision of the Lagos State Government under the THEMES Agenda to give only qualitative education to our children, and thereby secure their future”.

She concluded by imploring the children to face their studies, obey their parents and elders as there are critical factors towards preparing them for a greater future.

Apart from giving the children education, one of the conflicting challenges is insecurity especially in the northern part of the country.

In 2021 alone, there were 25 attacks on schools. 1,440 children were abducted, and 16 children killed. In March 2021, no fewer than 38 schools were closed down in six northern states (Sokoto, Zamfara, Kano, Kastina, Niger and Yobe) over fear of attack and abduction of pupils and members of staff. The closure of schools in these states significantly contributes to learning loses for over two months.

Looking at the attacks on schools in which children are the worst hit, one cannot talk of having uninterrupted education or schooling for the children. The issue of security is one major area that the future of the children as everything is in shamble.

In the eastern part of the country, the IPOB are having a field day as they have almost taken over power. Last year, while other candidates in other states were writing WASSCE/NECO, they ordered all the candidates to stay at home. Up till now, the spate of insecurity in the state is frightening. With this worrisome development there appear too bleak.

If the future of any child is to be secured, qualitative education should be put at the foremost of our policy. Increasing the education budget, endorsing the child right act and ensuring that all those who abuse children in any form or another are policies that should be put in place to secure the future of the children. We hope that our government will give this an important consideration even as the world is marking the International Children’s day.