Gabriel Dike
Worried by the high rate of kids, not in school in Nigeria, the Association for Formidable Educational Development (AFED) has pledged to partner the Federal government to tackle the 10.5million out-of-school-children scourge.
AFED observed that Nigeria with over 150million population has the highest number of out-of-school-children more than the population of many African countries.
The President of AFED, Mr. Emmanuel Orji, who stated this on Monday ahead of the maiden edition of Africa Education Conference scheduled for Thursday, July 25, in Lagos, said it was important to address the out-of-school children scourge in the country with all sincerity.
”The association has on so many occasions said that government can reduce the number of out-of-school children if conscious and concrete collaboration are established with low-fee- paying schools association like AFED.”
According to him, AFED with a large membership across the country will be ready to partner both the state and Federal governments in tackling the out-of-school-children scourge and also ensure that they receive quality education.
He explained that if the Federal government invites AFED, it would discuss how to find solution to the out-of-school scourge and further observed that before in the 80s, Lagos and Ogun states were among states with the scourge.
The president of AFED acknowledged that there was increase surge in school population and government budget on education cannot address this, resulting in an increased number of out-of-school-children in Nigeria and even in Africa.
Orji said: ”AFED remains the largest umbrella body for low-cost-paying schools in Africa, whose quest is to make quality education accessible for all in line with the UN action plan on education for all.
”The target indicator of the SDG intended to have all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education by 2030 to help them have the ability to access any other higher form of education that are available in order to attain full functional members of the global community.”
He disclosed that AFED would converge on African education conference to address the multifaceted problems facing the nation’s education and x-ray facts about the SDGs and their possible unrealistic feature.
The AFED boss said a former presidential aspirant and educationist, Prof Pat Utomi; legal luminary Mr. Femi Falana; Prof James Tooley from University of Birmingham and Lagos State commissioner nominee, Mrs. Folasholade Adefisayo would speak at the event.