Nigeria’s Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has warned that the continued rise in the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria will breed more security problems for the country.
The Former President and Military Head of State described the current situation in the country as alarming and a ticking time bomb that must be defused before it explodes.
The former president made the comments while inaugurating projects executed by Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed 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 other terrorist organizations and urged leaders to prioritize education to mitigate the looming threat.
He said “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 emphasized that addressing the educational crisis is crucial not only for the development of Nigeria but also for its long-term security.
He 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.”
Credit: Sahara Reporters
