In an effort to significantly address the issue of out-of-school children, the Senate has called for a national summit following briefings with President Bola Tinubu.
This resolution was reached during a plenary session after the submission of a report by the Committee on Education (Basic & Secondary) on the urgent need to tackle the challenge of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
The Chairman of the committee, Senator Usman Lawal Adamu, representing Kaduna Central, revealed that over 2 million out-of-school children have been enrolled in the past year, thanks to the collective efforts of agencies within the ministry focused on out-of-school children’s education.
In a robust debate by more than 20 lawmakers, the out-of-school children crisis was identified as a ticking time bomb, necessitating solutions that go beyond the Federal Government’s efforts alone.
While some lawmakers called for improved cooperation between national and sub-national governments, particularly concerning access to UBEC funds, others, such as Senator Ahmed Lawan, suggested that substantial funds from the 2025 budget should be allocated specifically to addressing the out-of-school challenge.
According to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, out-of-school children have become potential bandits, underscoring the urgency of resolving the crisis.
The Senate unanimously adopted the resolution for a national summit.