By Ben Ogbemudia
Executive Director/Country Representatives Incentive-Based Program (Policy House International), Comrade Taiwo Akerele on Monday Said wave of school closures in most part of Northern Nigeria between December of 2020 and March 2021 over an upsurge in kidnapping and abduction of students in different states such as Katsina, Niger, Kaduna, and Zamfara states, is extremely concerned that the number of out of school children will rise to 13 million by December of 2021 as against the 2019/2021 estimates of 10.5m by UNICEF.
The body in a press release made available to ThisNigeria in Abuja also condemned the killing of three Greenfield University students abducted by bandits in Kaduna state.
He recalled that an unspecified number of students were abducted from the university located at Kasarami village off Kaduna-Abuja Road in Chikun Local Government Area last week Tuesday night with a ransom demand made by the kidnappers for their release.
The Incentive-Based Program (IBP) of Policy House In its reaction,
condemned the killing, describing it as heinous and unacceptable.
While also calling on the relevant security agencies and the government to rise to the challenge and deal with the elements threatening the stability of the country.
The former Chief of staff, Edo State raised alarm on the rising trend of student kidnapping which is now 800 within the 1st quarter of 2021.
“Schools have been shut down in most parts of the north and now 3 students have died in the kidnapper’s den.
” Security agencies should fish out the killers otherwise this will embolden the future attackers and discourage literacy development in the north a trend that is already frightening.
” For us at Incentive-Based Program, this is the right time for a state of emergency to be declared in the entire education system in the north to ensure maximum security around schools.
” While other countries are doing everything to close the gap in a number of out of school children in the society, the activities of Boko Haram, kidnappers and bandits is further deepening the Nigerian figures and this is particularly worrisome and pathetic for northern Nigeria that is already considered to be averagely an educationally dis- advantaged region of Nigeria.
“From our records and estimates close to 800 students have been kidnapped between December of 2020 and March 2021.
” This has also resulted in the closure of boarding schools in at least three states over the period and available data shows that over 60 schools with at least an average of 600 students are affected by this sudden closures which have serious implication for academic stability, domestic finance, crime among adolescents, rising illiteracy in the region and security implications, drug, cultism and general crime.
” While the affected states have invested in basic infrastructure and school feeding, the general insecurity in the region has dampened educational enthusiasm among parents and children of school age.
” We note for instance from media reports that on the 17th of February 2021, Niger State Government shut down all boarding schools in four local governments such as Rafi, Munya, Shiroro, and Manga LGAs while on the 15th of December, Zamfara state government shut down 10 schools in towns sharing borders with Katsina, Kaduna and Sokoto states following series of abductions of students during the period.
Akerele seeks funds for education of out of school children
“We call on the Nigerian Government to accelerate the implementation of the lofty educational intervention programs outlined under the Alternate School Program (ASP) earlier launched in January 2021 and also to call on the states government to Fastrack its investment in perimeter fencing, local security arrangements and the deployment of technology in securing the schools. The 1st quarter 2021 estimates for the Nigerian educational system is not encouraging at the moment as government intervention in the area of security has not yielded the desired result and the required target not met
“If this trend is not quickly tackled, Policy House International is worried that the gap between states in the north and the south education-wise will continue to widened this is because while the south is grappling with inadequate infrastructure to cater for ‘over enrolment’ so to speak in public schools in addition to the private schools, most states in the north are grappling with security for the few brave young kids of school age who have braced all odds to be in school, the implication is that while academic sessions are relatively stable in the south, it will take a generation for the children of same school age in the north to catch up.”
