Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has warned about the dangers of the increasing number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
Obasanjo described the situation in the country as alarming and a ticking time bomb.
Speaking at an event in Bauchi on Sunday, Obasanjo noted that about 10% of the nation’s population who should be in school are not receiving any formal education, making them vulnerable to recruitment by extremist groups such as Boko Haram and bandits in the future.
“These children, not equipped to develop their innate abilities to serve themselves or their communities, are being prepared for recruitment into whatever form Boko Haram or banditry will take in the next 10 to 15 years,” Obasanjo said.
He emphasized that addressing the educational crisis is crucial not only for the development of Nigeria but also for its long-term security.
The former president made the comments while inaugurating projects executed by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed. He urged leaders to prioritize education to mitigate the looming threat.
With over 20 million children currently out of school, Obasanjo’s remarks highlight the urgent need for reform and investment in the education sector.
Obasanjo said, “Let me emphasise what we want to do, human capacity building, education and human capacity building very important.
“World Bank says we have over 20 million children who should be in school that are not in school for a population of about 230 million.
“So, that is 10 per cent of our population that should be in school that are not in school. Governor, your royal highnesses, brothers and sisters, that is recruitment for future Boko Haram, nobody needs to tell us that.
“Apart from being that 10 per cent of our population are not being equipped to develop their innate ability and capacity to be able to serve themselves, their family, their community, we are also preparing them to be recruited in 10 to 15 years’ time for whatever form of Boko Haram it will be that time, whatever form of banditry it will be,” he added.