Kano, Sokoto and others have spent 5.32 billion naira on overseas scholarships.
• Olukoju says it is wasteful and self-enriching.
• Governments should make schools safe and attractive.
• States will build more elementary and middle schools.
As Nigeria struggles to meet Goal 4 of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and tackle the growing threat of out-of-school children, some states are forcing some students to go abroad. They continue to spend millions of naira on training.
According to a report by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), of the 20 million children not attending school in the country, approximately 10 million live in Bauchi, Kebbi, Katsina, Kano, Jigawa and 10 other states. There are people.
Bauchi state topped the list with 1,239,759 people. Zamfara 883,952; Kebbi 877,677; Katsina 873,633; Kano 837,479; Jikawa 784,391; Kaduna 652,990; and Gombe 567,852.
Others are Adamawa 489,855. Niger 478,412; Sokoto 462,164; Yobe 405,100; Benue 383,022; Taraba 338,975; Borno 266,478.
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) said an additional 20,000 schools and 907,769 classrooms would be needed to get these children back to school.
Despite these challenges, states spend billions of dollars sending students abroad to study.
For example, Mr. Kano spent N36.5 billion on sponsoring about 115,288 overseas students from 2013 to 2023.
The breakdown showed that between 2013 and 2016, the country sponsored 111,687 students, according to Muhammad Garba, Secretary of State for Information and Home Affairs, immediately before Abdullahi Ganduje's government. 1001 people from 2017 to 2022, and 1001 people this year.
According to former Governor Aminu Tambuwal, Sokoto State will spend about N14 billion between 2016 and 2022 on sending 4,600 students to study abroad, of which 1,120 students will study medicine at universities in India, Sudan, Ukraine and Ghana. , Engineering and other paramedic courses. This year, they were sent to study engineering courses in China.
The Borno State government spent N588 million on overseas scholarships between 2020 and 2023, supporting around 180 overseas students, while Kaduna State spent the same period, according to immediate past governor Nasir El-Rufai. 1.5 billion was spent on supporting 107 people to study abroad. .
According to Governor Dikko Radda, Katsina State spent N625 million on overseas scholarships from 2018 to 2023, while Adamawa State supported 120 students this year.
Learning has been suspended for about 20 years, especially in the north. More than 1,680 schoolchildren have been abducted since 2014 when 276 schoolgirls were kidnapped in Chibok, Borno state, according to a report by Save the Children, with some children unable to attend school due to the attacks. .
Furthermore, between April 2014 and December 2022, more than 180 school children were killed and 90 injured in 70 attacks, and an estimated 60 school staff were kidnapped and 14 were killed. It is reported that 25 school buildings were destroyed during this period.
The majority of these attacks occurred in the northwest, followed by the north-central region.
These attacks have long-lasting effects on communities and children's access to education, as they lead to mass expulsion and closure of schools.
Nearly 100 schools in Katsina State remain closed due to insecurity, disrupting learning for more than 30,000 children.
In the aftermath of the attacks, children and communities are traumatized, with the majority without psychological support.
According to the Multi-Indicator Cluster Survey conducted by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and released in August 2022, 26.8 percent of Nigerian children aged 7 to 14 can read functionally in any language. Only 25.4 percent perform basic arithmetic.
According to a report by SBM Intelligence, about Rs 220 million was paid in ransom and 16 of the victims in these incidents died.
Breaking down the deaths, the report said nine people died in Kaduna, three in Niger, three in Zamfara and one in Kebbi state. A breakdown of the most affected states shows that the northwestern states are primarily affected, along with the north-central state of Niger. 440 students were abducted in Katsina State, 419 in Zamfara State, 236 in Niger State, 209 in Kaduna State and 105 in Kebbi State.
While most states justify spending on foreign scholarships, officials said the practice was wasteful and an act of “self-enrichment.”
Professor Ayodeji Olukoju, President Advocate and Chairman of the Council of Chrisland University, Ogun State, said it was unacceptable to spend so much money on overseas education when thousands of people were denied even basic education.
Mr. Olukoju noted that other sectors of the economy could quickly undergo changes in terms of budgetary allocation while local institutions would be neglected.
The history professor advised governors who still support the practice to stop sending new students abroad and focus on improving local facilities.
The former vice chancellor said that the failure of state governors to prioritize basic education was the reason for the increase in the number of out-of-school children.
He wondered how people with formal education up to tertiary level could remain so indifferent to the collective illiteracy of children and young people.
“This oozes insensitivity and lack of vision, because young people are the future of any society and an educated population is easier to lead.
Mr. Olukoju emphasized the need to involve stakeholders, including religious communities, community-based organizations, parents and other opinion-formers as a way to avoid problems.
He said these efforts need to come up with short-, medium- and long-term solutions, including a combination of incentives, such as free education up to secondary level and free school meals to encourage enrollment. said.
Additionally, the governor said foreign educators could be hired to recreate the learning environment of foreign educational institutions, train teachers, and teach online courses.
Professor Samuel Odewumi, Professor of Transport Planning and Policy, has condemned the attitude of most governors in the north towards the plight of millions of out-of-school children in the region and questioned why they declared a state of emergency in this area. I wondered if it wasn't there. .
“For me, most of the northern states who were unable to fill up the vacancies in the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for admission to universities, polytechnics and colleges of education are spending extremely scarce foreign exchange. It is unthinkable to send money.There are very few people who are already blessed abroad.
“Even the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) is already reconsidering large-scale sponsorship of candidates, even at postgraduate level, where such programs are available.
“Governors of the affected states in the north must embark on massive construction of schools and dormitories and recruitment of teachers to accommodate these children,” Odewumi said.
He advised governors to use the money to support children's education outside of school.
He said no governor would feign ignorance about the role of education in the development of individuals and the nation, barring acts of sheer evil.
The Director of the Commonwealth Institute of Advanced Studies and Professional Studies (CIAPS), Professor Anthony Kira, said that state governors are sponsoring students to study abroad because they do not have faith in the Nigerian education system and believe in cooperation within Nigeria. This is evidence of the fact that it is not.
“Common sense would dictate that a governor who believes his state has good universities would sponsor students to such schools. It follows that a governor in the state would sponsor a student to such a school even if it is not in his state.
“Forex issues require governors, ministers, parents and all stakeholders to make education worthwhile in Nigeria. We need a safe environment that leads to a possible future.
“Governors need to make schools safe, attractive for pupils and rewarding for parents. At the moment parents are too ignorant or too poor to make sure their children have to attend school. Too many children are out of school because they don't understand. With the country in financial ruin, the problem of funding students to study abroad will soon end.”
Kira stressed that the state needs to address the problem. “Such funds should be invested in improving education in Nigeria. If we think strategically, we can quickly see that it is cheaper and more profitable to invest in education in Nigeria than to sponsor students to study abroad. Masu.
“Governors and other leaders need to reaffirm the importance of education to societies, institutions, and economies. Yes. Governors need to realize that no country in the history of humanity has achieved prosperity and progress without a flourishing education sector,” Kira said.
Regarding local efforts to curb this menace, state governors are calling for the establishment of more primary and secondary schools to enroll the huge number of children roaming the streets without access to basic education. The plan was announced.
Source: guardian.ng