Out-of-school children a huge national challenge that require vigorous action at addressing the menace- ES UBEC

The Executive Secretary Universal Basic Education Commission UBEC, Dr Hamid Bobboyi has said that the Nigeria- out-of-school children challenge is a huge national challenge that requires little debate on numbers but more vigorous action at addressing the menace.

Daily Dispatch had reported that the icirnigeria.org showed that the figure was false and that there was no NDHS conducted by UNICEF in 2015.

Dr. Bobboyi said the figure given by UBEC official, Alhaji Bello Kagara that the Nigeria out-of-school population has risen from 10.5 million to 13.2 million was not exaggerated.

The UBEC boss speaking through Mr Ossom Ossom, Head, Public Relations and Protocol Unit UBEC, Dr. Bobboyi noted that at the peak of the insurgency, the number of out-of-school children had risen beyond the speculated figures as a result of the displacement of families/school aged children in the North East, especially around the period 2015.

“So the figure quoted by Alhaji Bello Kagara who spoke on behalf of the Executive Secretary was a reflection of the situation as at 2015.

“It is also very important to add to the submission by the UBEC official by emphasizing the fact that the gradual return of peace to the North East, as well as improved intervention efforts on addressing the out-of-school challenge by UBEC, State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) and other collaborating agencies between the 2015 and 2016 and beyond have greatly enhanced the ability of out-of-school children (who were out of school as at the 2015 period) to return to school within the 2017 period and beyond.

“Importantly, and way beyond the rightness or otherwise of the figures cited, it is an established fact that the out-of-school challenge is a huge national challenge that requires little debate on numbers but more vigorous action at addressing the menace, whether it be in respect of 1, 10, 100, 1000, 1,000,000 or 1 billion Nigerian children. Even though we may lay claim to the fact that the figures have reduced, it is very obvious that the impact of this menace on our nation is far from waning.

“Whether it be 8.7 million, 9.1 million, 10.5 million or 13.2 million out-of-school children, Nigeria has a huge challenge in its hand and one good way of addressing same is to emphasize, build strong national consciousness, synergy and focus on the critical issues, without being drawn into a battle of wits over numbers.

“This is not to deemphasize the import of the numbers. But to stress that we could spend our time, energy and resources contending over numbers and be distracted from the main focus on the issues that gave rise to and continue to nurture the increase of those numbers.

“I implore all of us in the media as well as education stakeholders to dispense our energy on proffering solutions and taking bold steps towards addressing the social and economic factors that have earned our country, the best spot behind other countries with the highest number of out-of-school children globally”, he said.