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Senate mulls mobile court to jail out-of-school children’s guardians
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The Senate, on Wednesday, called for the establishment of mobile courts for the trial and imprisonment of parents and guardians refusing to enrol their wards in school in compliance with the Universal Basic Education Act.
The move is to address the 20 million out-of-school children in the country.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, specifically urged the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory to adopt the measures he used in Akwa Ibom State when he was governor, which entailed six months imprisonment for parents and guardians of school-aged children found on the streets or in the farm, during school hours.
The Senate made the resolution, following a motion by Senator Idiat Adebule, (APC, Lagos West), titled: “Compelling need to tackle the challenge of out-of-school children in Nigeria.”
Adebule, in the motion, said it had become worrisome, going by the 2022 report of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO that about 20 million Nigerian children are out of school, which represents 10 per cent of the estimated Nigerian population of 200 million people and also represents the highest number of out-of-school children from any country globally.
She said, “Though the Federal Ministry of Education has disputed the figure, it’s generally agreed that whatever the real figures, the issue of out-of-school children has become an albatross on the neck of the Nigerian state that must be dealt with as a matter of urgency.”
In his contribution to the motion, Senator Adams Oshiomhole (APC Edo North), said the menace must be tackled very urgently because illiteracy engenders poverty and poverty engenders crime.
“I really don’t think we need any tutorial to remind us that he or she who didn’t have the opportunity or was denied the opportunity to go to school is destined to be poor forever.
“An illiterate young man or woman is bound to give birth to another illiterate child which will lead to a dynasty of the poor constituting a risk to the rich and the society at large.
“Today in Nigeria, we can see and we are all witnesses that inequality and abject poverty anywhere has constituted a huge security risk to everyone in Nigeria. It is clear that every Nigerian child needs to go to school,” Oshiomhole said.
He accused some governors, particularly from the northern part of the country, of sabotaging efforts of the Federal Government to make basic education free and compulsory for every child in Nigeria.
“The governors sabotaging the policy, deliberately refusing to contribute 50 per cent of fund required from them as counterpart funding of UBE policy,” he said.
Supporting the motion, the Deputy Senate President, Jibrin Barau, said the problem needed to be frontally addressed because it was the out-of-school children that later became tools for terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes in the country.
Barau said, “I commend Senator Adebule Idiat for moving this motion. Bringing it forward at this point is a big service to our nation. Education is said to be the bedrock of every society; it’s a pillar upon which every human being begins his or her life.”
Other senators, like the former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan (APC Yobe North), Mohammed Monguno (APC Borno North), contributed to the debate by calling on government at all levels to urgently arrest the trend.
In his remarks after the adoption of prayers in the motion as resolutions, Akpabio said, “Since education is the bedrock of all good things in any society, government at all levels, should ensure that no school-age child stays out of school in Nigeria.
“We did it in Akwa Ibom State when I was governor by enforcing compliance to the UBE Act by all Parents or Guardians or were made to know that anybody caught not sending his or her child to school, risks six months imprisonment.
“By way of legislation, the Child Rights Act was put in place which has free and compulsory education as parts of its provisions. Other states in Nigeria should adopt this as required measures of making education truly free and compulsory for children in the country,” he added.
By Gloria Ikibah
Members of the ECOWAS Parliament will this week begin deliberations on strategies to position Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) as key drivers of regional value chains, as part of efforts to boost economic integration and expand opportunities for businesses across West Africa.
The discussions will take place during a delocalised meeting of the Parliament’s Joint Committee on Industry and Private Sector; Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research; Administration, Finance and Budget; and Public Accounts, scheduled to hold in Cotonou, Benin Republic, from 27 to 31 July 2026.
The meeting will focus on the theme, “Empowering MSMEs as Formal Drivers of ECOWAS Regional Value Chains,” reflecting growing recognition of the critical role small businesses play in the region’s economy.
According to a media advisory issued by the Communications Directorate of the ECOWAS Parliament on 21 July 2026, “The ECOWAS Parliament is holding the delocalized Meeting of the Joint Committee on Industry and Private Sector | Macroeconomic Policy and Economic Research | Administration, Finance and Budget | Public Accounts, on the theme ‘Empowering MSMEs as Formal Drivers of ECOWAS Regional Value Chains.’”
The meeting comes at a time when policymakers across West Africa are seeking practical ways to unlock the economic potential of MSMEs, which remain the backbone of the region’s private sector.
A United Nations policy brief on the subject indicates that MSMEs account for more than 90 per cent of all businesses and provide about half of total employment across ECOWAS member states. Despite their importance, many of these enterprises continue to operate outside the formal economy and face significant obstacles, including limited access to finance, weak infrastructure and barriers to cross-border trade.
Lawmakers are expected to examine these challenges and develop recommendations aimed at integrating MSMEs more effectively into regional value chains, improving their competitiveness and enabling them to contribute more meaningfully to sustainable economic growth and regional integration.
Nigeria’s Ambassador-designate to Mexico, Reno Omokri, has dismissed claims that the Mexican government rejected his diplomatic appointment, attributing his delayed resumption instead to the ongoing FIFA World Cup being co-hosted by Mexico and the United States.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today last Monday, the former presidential aide said the delay was due to logistical and diplomatic considerations linked to the global football tournament, stressing that he was not the only Nigerian envoy yet to assume duty. Omokri said reports suggesting that Mexico had declined to accept him as Nigeria’s ambassador were false and were being promoted by political opponents.
“Mexico has not rejected me. Not at all,” he said.Politics He explained that the Mexican government is currently focused on hosting the World Cup alongside the United States, leaving little room to process the arrival of new diplomats. “You should understand that Mexico is right now hosting the World Cup, along with the United States of America, and all of their focus is on that,” Omokri stated.
According to him, several Nigerian ambassadors-designate are also yet to resume at their respective postings for similar reasons.Executive Branch “Most of us ambassadors have not resumed. So, I’m not the only one. A lot of my colleagues are in my situation, but it’s okay. These things happen,” he said. The ambassador-designate also accused members of the opposition of spreading misleading narratives about his appointment, insisting that such claims have no basis in reality. “The opposition will always say things like I have been rejected. We do not work on the basis of the opposition. We work on the basis of reality,” he said.
Omokri expressed confidence that Nigeria continues to enjoy cordial diplomatic relations with countries around the world and maintained that host nations would receive Nigerian envoys in due course. “The reality of it is that we have countries in the world that respect Nigeria, and they’re going to be taking Nigeria’s envoys,” he added.
A young Nigerian girl who was trafficked to Cotonou, Benin Republice for prostitution has d!ed.
Sewuese passed away on Friday, July 24, 2026 in Benue State after she was brought home.
Activist, Zege Orkwande, who has been facilitating the rescue of trafficked Benue girls said investigation is ongoing and those who trafficked her will face the full wrath of law.
“People are asking “who took Sewuese to Cotonou”. Trust my process,” he wrote.
“The people that trafficked/smuggled her to Cotonou for prostitution will sure face the law and serve in prison uniform.
“All information gathered. I’m waiting for her to be buried first. REST WELL.”
ECOWAS Parliament Moves to Strengthen MSMEs as Pillars of Regional Trade
Ambassador Omokri Amid Rejection Rumours Says World Cup Cause of his delayed resumption
Sad: Young Nigerian reportedly trafficked for commercial s*x dies after rescue
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