President Bola Tinubu has stated that the government must build more schools to address the country’s out-of-school children problem.
According to data from the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), Nigeria has an estimated 20.2 million out-of-school children.
Tinubu made the remarks while meeting with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) national working committee (NWC) in Lagos.
Tinubu stated that it is critical to ensure an inclusive democracy by prioritising youths through poverty eradication, job creation, and providing Nigerians with quality education.
He urged collaboration among government agencies and the APC leadership to prioritise women and youth in its e-registration and digital membership validation efforts.
He stated that the exercise will be completed in the first quarter 2024.
Tinubu said:
“Democracy has faced challenges in the past, but I believe in a promising future for our country. We will deliver it.”
“I am committed to supporting a strong and ideologically determined democracy that is progressive, inclusive, and focused on eliminating poverty while providing quality education for our children.
“Collaboration with various government arms is crucial, and I commend the leadership of our party for working hard to promote these essential ideals.
“I stand solidly with you in the advancement of the progressive ideological stance of our party and we will pursue it with vigour.”
In response to the problem of out-of-school children, the president stated,
“We must address this issue by establishing more schools, recruiting teachers, and providing at least one meal a day for school children, aligning with the progressive ideology we seek to pursue.”