Return Of 4 million Out-Of-School Children To Classrooms In One Year Of Tinubu Administration Novel, Encouraging, Says TDF

We applaud President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s hard-working administration for successfully reintegrating over four million out-of-school children into formal education in Nigeria within a year of its establishment as an elected government.

According to a statement issued and signed by the Chairman, Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, the Democratic Front (TDF) believes it is necessary to highlight this significant milestone because of the growing concern and attention the issue of young children out of school has generated around the world, as well as the impediment it poses to Nigeria’s economic development.

With over 20 million children out of school in the country, Nigeria, unfortunately, ranks among the countries with the highest number of out-of-school children in Sub-Saharan Africa.

However, by reintroducing over 4 million out-of-school children aged six to eighteen to formal education in a single year, the Tinubu administration is poised to reduce the number of out-of-school children in the country while also saving Nigeria from the risks associated with this problem.

We are pleased to report that Nigeria’s aggressive pursuit of educational transformation, anchored by President Bola Tinubu’s policies over the last year, has resulted in some long-term beneficial interventions, such as the disbursement of N 3 billion in education loans to students.

Other significant provisions in the education sector include the improvement of learning conditions through Universal Basic Education (UBE), the provision of 6,500 Laboratories, Faculty Buildings, and Auditoriums in tertiary institutions through the Tetfund, the installation of CCTV cameras in school premises and campuses, and the establishment of Rapid Response Teams to boost security in schools across the country in the last year.

We have confirmed, through official statements from the Minister of Education, Prof Maman Tahir, the astronomical increase in school enrolment figures from 30 million in 2023 to 55 million in 2024, including the training of 85,662 teaching and non-teaching staff for various junior and senior secondary schools across Nigeria.

It is sufficient to say that President Bola Tinubu’s goal for Nigeria’s education sector reflects a broader vision of improving access to quality education for all citizens.

We applaud the President’s decision to exempt universities from the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and to subsidise electricity consumption on university campuses.

Similarly, the President’s recent approval to convert some Federal Medical Centres to University Teaching Hospitals to facilitate the mentoring of Medical Doctors and other allied health workers is commendable.

Finally, we urge the Federal Ministry of Education and its agencies to redouble their efforts to ensure that the President’s goal of completely transforming the Nigerian education sector is realised during his administration.