Foundation Makes Case for 10 Million Out-of-School Kids

Foundation Makes Case for 10 Million Out-of-School Kids

A non-governmental organization based in Abuja has made a case for over 10.5 million out-of-school children across the country.

Helpline Foundation for the Needy has said there is an increased need for proper management of the country's resources to ensure that the over 10.5 million out-of-school (OOS) children are absorbed into the school system.

Briefing journalists in Abuja as part of activities to mark this year Children's Day celebration, President of the Foundation, Mrs. Jumai Ahmadu, noted that in the data released by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO, an estimated 61 million children of primary school age are being denied their right to education globally.

She said Nigeria alone is home to an estimated 10.5 million, more than 3.6 million in 2000, or 42 per cent of primary school-age population.

She described this year's theme; "Our children, our future, our collective responsibility" as apt, even as she called on government to live up to its responsibility.

Mrs. Ahmadu said she is always saddened to see school children hawking on the streets of Abuja during school hours just because parents of such children could not afford to pay their school fees, stressing that Nigeria has the highest figure in the world of children denied access to basic education.

"In view of the ugly trend, Helpline Foundation has upscaled its scholarship to over 300 pupils and students in both primary and junior secondary schools across the country. The aim of our noble effort is to bridge the gap of over 10.5 million out of school children, which is one-sixth of the world's OOS children. Other countries of the world have accounted for just 5/6 while Nigeria is taking 1/6, which is a very serious challenge," Mrs. Ahmadu noted.

Pointing out measures being taken to make education attractive to parents and their wards, Mrs. Ahmadu said the Foundation has embarked on massive renovation of some classrooms in Ofante community in Olamaboro local government area of Kogi state and distribution of instructional materials to children in Kogi, Nassarawa, Kaduna and Niger states including some children orphaned by HIV/AIDS.