Yemi Obafemi
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has revealed that over 350,000 children were out of school when he assumed office, blaming years of neglect and lack of a holistic approach for the deep-rooted education crisis in the North.
The governor stated this while Speaking on while Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme.
Speaking on the challenges of education in the region, the governor referenced recent discussions with the World Bank and cited UNICEF statistics showing that the northern region of Nigeria accounts for nearly 70% of the country’s 18.2 million out-of-school children.
“Today, we are addressing the problem gradually,” Governor Sani said. “Two months ago, I sat down with the Vice President of the World Bank. We looked at the UNICEF statistics. Out of the 18.2 million out-of-school children today, the North is responsible for about 70% of that number.”
He acknowledged that while progress has been made in reducing the number of out-of-school children, the issue remains a major challenge that cannot be resolved overnight.
“Things are getting better, but nobody can tell you we can address this problem even in the next ten years and I will tell you why. Because I’m a very realistic person,” the governor said.
Governor Sani stressed that the crisis is deeply rooted and the result of years of neglect.
“This problem didn’t start two years ago. It started many years back because we were docile. We did not approach the issue holistically. We had the opportunity to push in the past but we didn’t do it,” he stated.
