Number of out-of-school children in FCT annoying – Wike

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike has taken the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, to task over the increasing number of out-of-school children in the country, calling on the agency to intensify efforts to reverse the trend.

Wike said the number of out-of-school children in the FCT has become annoying when he received in his office in Abuja on Thursday a delegation from UBEC, led by the Executive Secretary, Hamid Bobboyi.

According to the FCT Minister: “All of us know the problems of not just girl child education but out-of-school children. I don’t know what you are doing as regards all our children roaming the streets. It is the function of UBEC.

“When we were in education, that’s when we started the Almajiri schools. In fact, in the whole northern states, the only state I never visited was Yobe. I visited virtually all the states in the North, South West, South-South and South East where you have more boys dropping out. We tried to see what we could do.

“In the North, we talk about Almajiri and the girl child education and I do know that through UBEC, we were able to build a lot of schools. We were able to buy clothing and sandals and feed them.

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“I don’t know what it is now because the number has tripled. It’s so annoying. I do know that you are doing your best but I do know that the states too need to complement your efforts. So many states do not want to pay the counterpart funding, which is very unfortunate.

“The insecurity we are talking about today can never be resolved if we don’t bring these children back to school.”

Wike further noted that the increasing influx of people into the FCT from other parts of the country is also contributing to the number of out-of-school children in the nation’s capital.

He said the FCT Administration is doing its best to also address the situation.