By Emmanuel Ajibulu
Many concerned Nigerians have taken to the streets and various social media platforms lamenting how difficult it has been for them in feeding their children, let alone sending them back to school to kick start their fresh academic session.
In Lagos State for example, students had gone on a long vacation after the 2023/2024 session ended on July 19, 2024.
Accordingly, Primary and Secondary schools in many parts of Nigeria resumed for the 2024/2025 academic session Monday, September 19, 2024; especially in Lagos and Delta States. No doubt,the resumption literally sparked debate on the growing challenges faced by parents and guardians as well as the country’s education sector. Schools are also not spared from the shocking consequences of the trending scourge as patronage significantly dropped in many private schools.
In the face of high living costs, families are struggling to provide basic educational needs such as school fees, transportation, and materials whilst the minimum wage is just N70,000 amidst rising inflation which is currently at double digits.
It is recalled that UNICEF, the UN agency for children, reported in June 2024 that around 11 million Nigerian children were experiencing severe child food poverty. The report says this translates to one in every three Nigerian children under five years old.
UNICEF defines severe child food poverty as consuming no more than two out of eight food groups.
Globally, 181 million children under the age of five are considered to be facing severe child food poverty. Nigeria ranks among the 20 countries that account for 65% – almost two-thirds – of these children.
The UNICEF report further indicated that four out of five children experiencing child food poverty globally are fed only milk or a starchy staple, such as rice, maize or wheat. Less than 10% of these children are fed fruits and vegetables. And even fewer, less than 5%, are fed nutrient-dense foods such as eggs, fish, poultry or meat.
This is utterly worrisome, heart-rending and preposterous.
However, to function well in this dire strait, the Nigerian government needs to take proactive, responsible, responsive and well-informed decisions in tackling the many socio-economic conditions that are disrupting education across the country, bearing in mind the potential long-term and short-term negative impacts it could have on children’s education and the future of the country if not quickly nipped in the bud.
While it is important to applaud the long-term benefits of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms across many sectors of Nigeria’s economy, his team also needs to look inwards and give priority to short-term benefits as well, so that the citizenry can have a breather. Understandably, Mr. President is barely sixteen months (16) in office, he can still make a difference in the shortest possible time for the greater good of the downtrodden and other vulnerable segments of the society.
It is a well-known fact that the youth of any country is a great asset. They are indeed the future of the country and represent it at every level. The role of youths in nation-building is more important than one might possibly think. In other words, the intelligence and work of the youth will take the country on the pathway of success. As every citizen is equally responsible, the youth is too. They are the building blocks of a country.
It therefore becomes imperative for governments across the board (Local, State and Federal), corporate organizations, religious bodies and other critical stakeholders in the society to embrace a purposely paradigm shift by investing heavily in the education of Nigerian children, so that the future of Nigeria would be remarkably great and desirable. May God bless and prosper Nigeria.
●Ajibulu wrote from Abuja, he is an infopreneur, social media influencer, writer, communication consultant and publisher of veracitydesk.com, emmanuelajibulu@gmail.com