Member representing Esan Central
Constituency in the Edo State Youth Parliament and Campaign Coordinator, National Dropout Prevention Campaign 2024, Hon. Ogbidi Peace yesterday said , the recent statistics showing Nigeria as one of the countries with the highest rate of out -of -school children in Sub-Saharan Africa is unacceptable.
Ogbidi said millions of children and young adults leaving school before
completing their education, is mind blowing and something urgently must be done to arrest the situation.
He disclosed this while speaking to Journalists on the ongoing two weeks long event for the National Dropout Prevention Campaign.
Ogbidi said the theme
for this year’s campaign, “Empowering Futures” highlights the importance of investing
in the future of our youth by ensuring they remain in school and are equipped to thrive.
Ogbidi said the aim of the National Dropout Prevention Campaign is to raise awareness, provide solutions, and implement strategies to reduce these alarming numbers.
He said the campaign focuses on three main pillars:
Awareness: Educating communities about the importance of education and the long-term consequences of dropping out, Advocacy: Engaging stakeholders such as parents, teachers, government bodies,
and NGOs to create policies and programmes that keep children in school, Action: Implementing community-driven solutions, such as financial assistance,
mentoring programmes and vocational training to support at-risk students.
He listed insecurity, poverty, economic hardship, cultural and gender norms, poor infrastructure and resources, government policy and corruption as some of the challenges aiding school dropout that should be quickly looked into and addressed
He maintained that education is a critical tool for breaking the cycle of poverty and that when children
drop out of school, they are more likely to face low income and unemployment.
He said that without education, individuals face limited job opportunities and are more likely to remain trapped in low-paying, informal jobs and which can thereby reduce their earning potential and contribute to the overall poverty levels.
.
