It sounds incredible but the Senate President, Ahmed Lawan has raised the alarm over the condescending glee at which Nigerian children are running away from school. He says the alarming figure is well over 10 million.
Lawan said this on Tuesday while reading his welcome address at the plenary.
He said that the issue of children dropping out of schools was a concern to him as a former university lecturer and to the ninth Senate, saying that efforts would be made to address the challenge.
“If there is one issue that is dear to me and which we must all take very seriously, it is that more than 10 million of our children are out of school.
“As a former lecturer who has also in the past chaired the House of Representatives Committee on Education, I subscribe to the view that all children, no matter where they live or what their circumstances, have the right to quality education.
“ Even though primary education is officially free and compulsory, over 10 million of the country’s children aged 5 – 14 years are out of school.
“This is a challenge for us in the next four years.
“I’m well aware that the problems in our country are quite enormous but they are not insurmountable.
“ If we all work together as members of the same government, with different roles, we will achieve our goals to better the lot of the Nigerian people.’’
Lawan also said efforts on how best to tackle growing inequality, security challenge would form the legislative agenda.
