Nigeria – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned about the potential increase in drug abuse, terrorism, banditry, and other social issues due to the alarming number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, which exceeds 20 million. In a statement released by his media assistant, Kehinde Akinyemi, Obasanjo emphasized the need for a 25-year socio-economic development plan to tackle these challenges.
Obasanjo advocated for a national agenda focusing on education, technology, and skills acquisition, which should have bipartisan support and be legally backed by both the National and State Assemblies. He stressed the importance of compulsory education up to the secondary level for every Nigerian child and proposed an immediate five-year plan to integrate all out-of-school children into the education system, aiming to eradicate illiteracy within ten years.
Furthermore, Obasanjo highlighted the need to ensure food and nutrition security, universal energy access, enhanced industrialization and manufacturing, and advancements in science, technology, and artificial intelligence to support the nation’s development and prevent the youth from becoming vulnerable to criminal activities.