Former Nigerian President Obasanjo Warns of Crisis from Out-of-School Children

 

Olusegun Obasanjo, the former president of Nigeria, has raised concerns that the nation may face severe crises in the next decade if the issue of out-of-school children is not addressed urgently. He made this statement during a ceremony in Bauchi on Sunday, where he inaugurated several road projects, including the dualized seven-kilometer Awala-Mairuguri Road and the 17.70-kilometer Awalah-Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa National Airport Road, as well as the 30-kilometer Gubi-Ruda Bida-Siyi-Nasarawa Road.

At the event, Obasanjo also launched the distribution of 10,000 hearing aids to underserved individuals from the Northeast, facilitated by the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation in partnership with the Starkey Hearing Foundation.

In his speech, Obasanjo emphasized the critical role of education and human capacity building in fostering development and ensuring a safer society. He cited World Bank statistics indicating that over 20 million children in Nigeria are out of school, representing about 10% of the country's population of approximately 220 to 230 million.

"Dear governor of Bauchi State, your Royal Highnesses present here, brothers and sisters, that is recruitment for future Boko Haram," Obasanjo warned. He highlighted the dangers of not equipping this population with the skills necessary for personal and communal development, noting that failure to act could lead to increased recruitment into extremist groups or other forms of criminality in the future.

Obasanjo urged leaders at all levels to collaborate in finding a lasting solution to the issue of out-of-school children. He praised Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed for the road construction projects, stating that they would create new opportunities for development, enhance transportation, boost commerce, and improve the quality of life for residents and farmers in the region.

Governor Mohammed shared that his administration has undertaken the construction of over 116 roads, totaling 1,482.25 kilometers across the state, with 79 of these projects completed and ready for inauguration.