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UK Charity Seeks Lifeline For 10m Out-Of-School Nigerian Children
An international education charity announced, yesterday in Abuja, that it would partner the Nigerian government to tackle prevailing problems that had prevented about 10.19million children from going to school.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation is cited as currently having the largest number of out-of-school children in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Chief Executive Officer of a UK-based charity, known as IA-Foundation, Mrs Ibironke Adeagbo, told newsmen that the partnership with Nigeria was aimed at giving education to out-of-school kids in parts of the expansive West African country.
Adeagbo described the engagement with Nigeria as fallout from the recent international education summit in London, tagged,”Global Education Summit”, which had the British prime minister, the Kenyan president and President Muhammadu Buhari, participating.
She commended Buhari for pledging at the summit to double Nigeria’s education budget by 50 per cent in the next two years, to stimulate growth in the education sector of the country.
Adeagbo, who is also the founder of the IA-Foundation noted, however, that the president’s gesture was too meagre to lift Nigeria’s education sector out of the woods when compared with the 23 per cent budgetary allocation made to education by Nigeria’s neighbour, Ghana.
According to her, prevailing issues in Nigeria demand that corporate bodies and public-spirited individuals should rise to the challenge and partner with government to engender an assured future for children.
She lamented what she described as the disturbing problems plaguing the education sector in Nigeria in recent years, saying that in the past 12 years, only 2011 and 2019 did not record brazen attacks on schools in the country.
Citing statistics, Adeagbo said that 35 per cent of the attacks were on secondary schools, where girls captured by bandits were married off – to the amazement of Nigerians and the global community.
“Eleven states out of the 36 states in Nigeria have been affected in the attacks with 48 per cent of the attacks occurring in boarding schools, while the Northeast geo-political zone experienced 73 per cent of the attacks.”
Adeagbo said the apparent siege on the education sector had made Nigeria a nation, where one in every five of the world’s out-of-school children resides, describing the situation as worrisome and unacceptable.
She said that IA-Foundation had scheduled a fund raising event for February 5 next year in Lagos, to stimulate the interest of individuals and corporate bodies on the need to tackle problems in Nigeria’s education sector and save the country’s future.
Quoting the French playwright, poet and essayist, Victor Hugo, Adeagbo, a chartered accountant said, “He who opens a school door, closes a prison door’’.
She said the initiative to tackle problems in Nigeria’s education sector was part of effort by her organisation to bridge the gap in accessing education and to open opportunities, to make Nigerian children to acquire basic education.
“At IA-Foundation, we do not believe that we have the silver bullet to solving these challenges but we believe that we are part of the solution,’’ Adeagbo said.
The Organised Labour yesterday, called on the Federal Government to ensure inclusiveness in policy making and guide against erosion of rights, such as free speech and association.
The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Joe Ajaero made the call at the 2025 Workers’ Day celebration held at the Eagle’s Square, Abuja.
The Tide source reports Ajaero and the President, Trade Union Congress, Mr Festus Osifo delivered a joint statement on behalf of the organised labour at the event.
Ajaero described May Day as, not only a moment to honour workers’ sacrifices, but also a platform to demand justice and accountability from those in public office.
He frowned at the alleged suppression of protests, and the erosion of rights of workers by some agents
According to him, workers have a duty to resist economic injustice, insecurity, and policies that undermine their dignity.
Speaking on the theme of the day, the NLC President underscored the need for Nigerian workers to reclaim the civic space and resist policies that contribute to worsening economic conditions.
“Our theme this year – “Reclaiming the Civic Space in the midst of Economic Hardship – reflects the urgent need for citizens to protect democracy and push back against repression.
“The civic space, where Nigerians express their concerns and challenge injustices is shrinking.
“If we fail to reclaim this space, the foundation of our democracy risks collapse,” he said
Ajaero, therefore, urged workers to unite and resist division, fear, and despair.
He also urged them to mobilise and organise for change, declaring that the right to demand better conditions is non-negotiable.
“Without workers, there is no society; without labour, there is no development. We must take our place in the fight for economic justice and democratic governance.”
Speaking in the same veins, Osifo said workers are the backbone of the nation—the educators, healthcare providers, builders, farmers, and innovators who sustain its economy -.
He stressed the need for the labour to reclaim the civic space even in the midst of economic hardship.
The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has disassociated itself from a fraudulent site requesting payments from candidates who missed the ongoing 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).
The board said that the site, “Copyrightwriter Personal J Rescheduling Flw” and account number 8520641017 at Sterling Bank, associated with it, are scam.
The disclaimer is contained in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Thursday by the Board’s Public Communication Advisor, Dr Fabian Benjamin.
Benjamin said the account is being exploited to defraud unsuspecting candidates who missed their UTME.
“We issue this urgent notice to inform the public about this nefarious scheme targeting candidates who were unable to participate in the UTME.
“Some unscrupulous individuals are deceitfully soliciting payments of N15,700 under the false pretence of offering rescheduling services for the examination.
“Let us be unequivocal: this, it is a blatant scam, and we are confident that the public will not fall prey to such cheap and regressive tactics.
” The individuals behind this scam have no affiliation with JAMB or any legitimate government agency.
“The account details provided in these communications are entirely fictitious and bear no connection to any official processes; they exist solely for the purpose of perpetrating fraud,” he said.
Benjamin called on Sterling bank to take immediate and decisive action against this criminal activity.
According to him, JAMB has reported the matter to the relevant security agencies and actively pursuing those responsible for this deceitful act.
He further said that “JAMB does not reschedule examinations for candidates who miss their scheduled tests due to reasons unrelated to the Board’s actions”.
He, however, said that the Board is conducting a thorough investigation for candidates whose biometrics failed during verification and were thus unable to sit for the examination.
He said those without discrepancies would be invited to retake the examination at no cost , stressing that “no cost is required”
“It is imperative to understand that JAMB does not charge any fees for examinations after a candidate has completed their registration.
“We strongly urge all candidates to remain vigilant and not to succumb to these fraudulent schemes.
“Protect yourselves and report any suspicious activity immediately,” he explained.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has expressed its willingness to partner with the United Nations (UN) to accelerate the development of the Niger Delta region.
Dr Samual Ogbuku, Managing Director of the NDDC, made the appeal in a statement issued by the commission’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Mrs Seledi Thompson-Wakama, in Port Harcourt on yesterday.
According to the statement, Ogbuku sought the UN’s support during his visit to the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator (UNRHC), Mr Mohammed Fall, at the UN regional office in Abuja.
He called on the global body to provide the NDDC with technical assistance and expert services to support the region’s development.
“We are eager to collaborate with the UN, recognising that the state governments in the region and the NDDC alone cannot achieve the level of regional development required,” he said.
Ogbuku identified key areas where support would be needed, including the provision of portable and affordable drinking water powered by high-tech solar energy sources.
He also highlighted the importance of reforesting the mangrove swamps, which have been severely damaged by decades of environmental degradation caused by oil exploration in the Niger Delta.
“Although the NDDC has made progress in providing solar-powered streetlights across the region, we still require UN support in delivering solar energy solutions for residential buildings.
“We also wish to explore the possibility of installing solar mini-grids in homes across communities, which would boost local commerce and trade,” he added.
The NDDC managing director further appealed for increased UN involvement in areas such as healthcare, education, youth training, gender development, and food security.
Ogunku stated that such interventions would significantly enhance the standard of living in the region.
In response, Fall affirmed the UN’s readiness to collaborate with the NDDC to fast track development in the Niger Delta.
He assured that the UN would support initiatives in food security, job creation, education, and renewable energy, among other areas.
“We aim to approach development in the Niger Delta holistically, rather than focusing solely on environmental pollution.
“This is merely an entry point; however, the UN’s development vision aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are designed to positively impact various aspects of people’s lives,” Fall stated.
He assured the NDDC of continued and fruitful engagements to drive the region’s development.