LAGOS – As Nigeria grapples with a concerning number of out-of-school children, stakeholders in the education sector are shedding light on one of the root causes: multiple school levies.
According to a new release by News Agency of Nigeria, the information came to the fore during a summit on Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis hosted by the UK charity IA-Foundation in Lagos. The summit, themed “Street to School: Panacea to a Menace,” aimed to address the alarming statistics surrounding school dropouts in Nigeria.
Mrs. Ibironke Adeagbo, Founder and CEO of IA-Foundation, urged government bodies at all levels to discourage the practice of multiple levies in schools. She noted that these levies place a heavy financial burden on parents, compelling them to pull their children out of educational institutions. Adeagbo stressed the need for practical and proactive approaches to change the current narrative in Nigeria, which sees 20.2 million children out of school.
Citing UNESCO data, Adeagbo highlighted that one out of every five out-of-school children globally is in Nigeria. This equates to approximately 10% of the country’s population. “This menace should be a burning issue and should no longer be business as usual,” she said.
Mrs. Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu, a panelist at the summit, argued that addressing the crisis requires collective effort. She encouraged family members to reconsider their priorities and invest in the education of both male and female children.
Oba Adedokun Abolarin, a traditional ruler present at the event, lauded IA-Foundation’s efforts in taking Nigerian children back to school. He praised the organization for doing what many should be doing as social entrepreneurs, and for its vision of a better future for Nigeria through education.