Obasanjo Raises Alarm Over Out-of-School Children, Warns of Future Security Threat

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has urged urgent intervention to address Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis, cautioning that neglecting the issue could fuel future recruitment by Boko Haram and other extremist groups.

Speaking on Tuesday at the commissioning of the Bakhita ICT Centre in Sokoto, Obasanjo described the situation—estimated at over 24 million children—as a “time bomb” with dangerous security implications.

“You don’t need an oracle to know they will become the recruiting ground for the Boko Haram of tomorrow,” he warned, stressing the need to prioritise human development, empowerment, and employment.

The concern comes as northern Nigeria continues to grapple with the highest numbers of out-of-school children, largely from the Almajiri system. UNICEF puts the figure at over 10 million. The region also remains a hotspot for banditry, mass school abductions, and violent extremism.

“If we fail to prepare now, the Boko Haram of today will be child’s play compared with what may lie ahead,” Obasanjo said.

The newly inaugurated ICT facility, built by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, with support from philanthropist Aare Afe Babalola, is equipped with 250 laptops and 50 tablets. It is designed to train young people in digital literacy and vocational skills.

At the event, Bishop Kukah challenged leaders to resist normalising poverty. “Among the almajiri on our streets, there could be an Albert Einstein,” he said, calling on leaders and faith communities to nurture the hidden potential of young Nigerians.

He also underscored unity across religious divides: “Christians and Muslims may quarrel, but mosquitoes don’t discriminate. They bite everyone in the mosque and in the church. We all catch malaria. That is God’s way of reminding us to work together.”

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, echoed the message, urging Nigerians to see diversity as a strength rather than a fault line. “When you are sick, sickness doesn’t ask whether you are a Muslim or a Christian. Hunger doesn’t know your tribe. Problems affect us all, and solutions must come from us working together,” he said.

The ceremony drew traditional rulers, clerics, politicians, and youths, and featured cultural performances celebrating Nigeria’s shared heritage.