Gyang Bere, Jos

Critical stakeholders in Nigeria have blamed the increasing cases of kidnapping, rape, armed robbery, electoral violence, communal clashes and other social vices in the country on Federal and state governments’ non-nonchalant attitude towards funding of non-formal education in the country.

Director National Orientation Agency (NOA), Plateau State, Mr. Bulus Dabit, disclosed this in Jos during the 2018 high-level stakeholder’s meeting to canvass support and funding for non-formal education in Nigeria, organised by Nigeria Reflect Practitioners Network also known as PAMOJA Nigeria.

Mr. Dabit, who was represented by an Assistant Director of Programme, Mr. Mwakon Dung Vincent, said: “Lack of proper funding of non- formal education for effective teaching of adults and school dropouts is responsible for social vices such as kidnapping, armed robbery, rape, crises and communal violence in the country.

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“It is sad that most of our youths have been used in the past to rigged election and the politicians enjoy using them in such manner; that is why they will not want to do anything that will increase their educational orientation. It is time for these youths to say no to such politicians and for government to fund non-formal education for effective learning.”

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Chairperson of Nigeria Reflect Practitioners Network, Mrs. Liti Agera, lamented that despite the plea for the Federal government to ensure that three percent of the total annual budget dedicated to educational sector is given to non-formal education, not even up to one percent is being released.

She said some states of the federation have no regards to the non-formal education without knowing that it contributes hugely to the state of insecurity, armed robbery and other social vices that the country is experiencing.

“The involvement of school drops out and illiterate persons into electoral frauds and violence in Nigeria cannot be tolerated any longer. This act tell us the level of illiteracy in the country and I challenged Nigerian youths to reject such politicians during the 2019 general elections to enthrone free, fair and credible election.

She challenged the Federal government to be alive to its constitutional responsibility of funding education in the country to reduce armed robbery, rape, kidnapping and other social vices that have ravaged the nation.

Mrs. Agera said statistics available show that there are over 140 million illiterates in the world, Africa has 90 million while Nigeria has 40 percent of illiterate people.

She blamed poverty, crisis, and non-commitment of some parents and bad government policies to the increasing crime rate in the country.