As Nigeria marks Children’s Day, leading voices in academia, civil society, and education have raised alarm over the nation’s worsening out-of-school children crisis, warning that failure to act urgently could jeopardize Nigeria’s future.
According to UNICEF, an estimated 18.3 million Nigerian children are currently out of school. Experts described this as a looming national disaster.
Professor Lai Olurode, a sociologist, labelled the situation a “national emergency” and called for bold reforms. “Taking millions of children off the streets requires synergy among stakeholders,” he told The PUNCH. He urged the reintroduction of free and compulsory education, better teacher welfare, improved school infrastructure, and support for families reliant on child income from street trading.
Similarly, Raji Oladimeji, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (Oyo State), emphasized engaging community leaders, especially in marginalized areas, to promote school attendance. He urged the development of inclusive, relevant curricula, increased education funding, and improved infrastructure like libraries, classrooms, and sanitation facilities.
Oladimeji also called for digital inclusion: “Online platforms must be expanded to reach underserved areas, and both teachers and students must be trained in tech-based learning.”
Former NLC Chairman in Oyo State, Waheed Olojede, decried the government’s failure to act decisively, stating: “Our educational system must focus on functionality—producing self-reliant graduates.” He called for enforcement of laws penalizing parents who deny children education, alongside a full curriculum overhaul.
Ibukunoluwa Otesile, Executive Director of the Hope For Second Chance Foundation, said Nigeria is “failing its next generation.” “These 18 million children are not out of school by choice, but because of poverty, insecurity, and systemic exclusion,” she stated. Otesile urged partnerships across government, civil society, and the private sector to drive nationwide educational access.
“Education transforms lives. Every child we reach is a future we rescue,” she said in her Children’s Day message.
In a grassroots-focused proposal, Hon. Oluwafowokanmi Oluwafemi Adebayo, Vice Chairman of the Oyo House Committee on Basic Education, recommended informal roadside learning centres in urban areas for working or begging children. “Offer a hot meal, but only after an hour of learning,” he suggested, adding that incentives are key to drawing vulnerable children into classrooms.
Dr. Tunde Odekunle, a retired director from the Oyo State Ministry of Education, proposed state-backed task forces to identify street children and reintegrate them into school. He emphasized aggressive public awareness campaigns to shift cultural attitudes.
A common thread unites all the perspectives: Nigeria must act now. From policy reforms and teacher support to enforcement and grassroots innovations, stakeholders stress that urgent, unified action is needed—not rhetoric.
“Let this Children’s Day be more than symbolic,” Otesile concluded. “Let it be a turning point.”