A United Kingdom-based Nigerian Non-Governmental Organisation, IA-Foundation, on Friday, kicked against the donation of N17 billion at the launch of a book in honour of former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, in Abuja, on Thursday.
The donation was for the construction of the planned Presidential Library of the former military President, General Babangida, which is coming barely three weeks after the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) raised the alarming on the rise in the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria’s North-West region with staggering statistics from Katsina, Kano and Jigawa states.
UNICEF Chief Field Office, Kano State, Mr Rahama Farah had in a briefing in Kano to mark the 2025 International Day of Education, said that the situation in the three states had been aggravated by poor learning outcomes for those children who were enrolled in school.
“While North-West Nigeria has the second highest out-of-school rate in Nigeria, the situation of the out-of-school population in Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states is alarming,” he said.
The UNICEF chief, while quoting the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, noted that 32 per cent of primary school-going age children are out of school in Kano.
Farah said, “There are currently about 10.2 million children at the primary level who are out-of-school in Nigeria, 16 per cent of them are from Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states. Close to one million children are out-of-school in Kano State (989,234), with a total of 337,861 children in Jigawa while Katsina State has 536,112 out-of-school children.
“While the spectre of out-of-school children is a major concern, the challenge is that even those children who have the opportunity to be enroled in school do not have quality education. Only one out of four children in Nigeria, aged 7-14 years can read and understand a simple sentence or solve basic arithmetic, according to the MICS report.
“Across Kano, Jigawa and Katsina states, this challenge is staggering as tests conducted by the Federal Ministry of Education in 2022 found that foundational learning rates stand at 11 per cent or lower in the three states of Kano, Jigawa and Katsina.
“For instance, only 2 per cent of primary school learners in Jigawa State have foundational reading skills while less than 1 per cent have numeracy skills. Although Kano figures appear better at 9.6 per cent for reading proficiency and 11.2 per cent for numeracy, these figures are way lower than the national averages of 26 per cent for reading proficiency and 25 per cent for numeracy, respectively.
“Although budgetary allocations have improved in recent years, exceeding the UNESCO benchmark in states like Kano and Jigawa, actual release and expenditure has not been the case.”
Moved by the alarm raised by UNICEF regarding the out – of – school children in Northern Nigeria amid the donation of N17billion at IBB’s book launch, the IA-Foundation Founder, Ibironke Adeagbo took to her social media handles on Friday to register her reservations.
According to her, Nigerians are not oblivious of the book’s content or the planned Presidential Library project, hence, questioning the need for such huge donation at the expense of other important educational infrastructure for the benefit of out-of-school children.
She expressed regret that donating such humongous fund for the building of schools for out-of-school and almajiri children to give them access to education has been a Herculean task.
She added, “Over N17 billion was donated at a book that was telling us what we all know about already.
“But to raise N17 billion to build schools for out-of-school children and Almajiri children to access education and come off the street is a challenge.”
The IA-Foundation founder, who is an advocate for out-of- school children and Almajiri, argued that it would be morally right and a worthy social investment if some of the donation was diverted to tackling the menace of out-of-school children, especially in Northern Nigeria.
Adeagbo further urged all well meaning Nigerians to support the course of the NGO in combating the menace of out-of-school menace in the country.
Adeagbo stressed that the children are the leadets of tomorrow, adding that no effort must be spared to safeguard their future..
IA-Foundation is currently planning to hold a fundraising event in London on April 2025 to raise over N60m to help reduce out-of-school children in Nigeria.
