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Obasanjo sounds alarm, says out-of-school children fueling Nigeria’s terrorism
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has sounded the alarm on Nigeria’s escalating out-of-school children crisis, warning it threatens national security and development.
Speaking on Sunday at the commissioning ceremony of projects executed by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, Obasanjo stressed that 20 million children without access to education are potential recruits for extremist groups like Boko Haram.
“The World Bank indicates over 20 million children aren’t in school, representing 10% of Nigeria’s 230 million population,” Obasanjo said. “This is a ticking time bomb, preparing them for recruitment into future extremist groups within 10 to 15 years.”
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Obasanjo’s concerns echo Human Rights Watch findings that Boko Haram’s attacks on education have devastated Nigeria’s northeast, killing 611 teachers, forcing 19,000 to flee and destroying over 910 schools since 2009.
The former president emphasized human capacity building and education as vital for national development. “Africa’s poverty stems from leadership failures, not divine design,” he said. “Wealth creation, not poverty alleviation, should be our focus.”
Conflicting reports from the World Bank and UNESCO cite 11 million and 20 million out-of-school children, respectively. However, both underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions.
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