The Ogun State Government has blamed rising insecurity and poverty for the increasing number of out-of-school children, even as it launched a major advocacy campaign to address the crisis in collaboration with the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education.
Speaking at the official flag-off of the Ogun State chapter of the national advocacy with the theme “Revitalisation of the Out-of-School Children Initiative”, Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu, said the state was adopting a multi-pronged approach to tackle the menace.
Arigbabu decried the situation, stating that while statistics may vary, the existence of any child outside the school system is unacceptable.
“I’ve never agreed with the statistics flying around because people give numbers for different reasons. But whether it’s one child or one million, any child out of school is one too many,” he said. “We must ensure every child is enrolled, retained, and empowered either through formal education or vocational alternatives.”
He noted that beyond free education, Ogun State has introduced several interventions such as the Ogun Kids Fund, vocational training centres, technical colleges, and job centres to bring children and youths back into productive learning.
Prof. Arigbabu added that many out-of-school children in the state are migrants from other regions, especially the North, and emphasized that Ogun would not reject them but instead integrate them into its education system.
> “We can’t drive them away; they are Nigerians. What we’re doing is absorbing them, supporting them with skills training, and paying both the trainees and their trainers,” he said.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of the Ogun State Advocacy Team, Dr. Sanwo David, described the current statistics on out-of-school children as regrettable.
He said the goal is to ensure every child is enrolled and that the advocacy team will go as far as churches, mosques, and markets to identify children not attending school.
Sanwo added that the federal government plans to reduce the number of out-of-school children by 50 per cent before the end of the current administration, stressing the importance of community engagement and collaboration with religious and market leaders.
In her goodwill message, Alhaja Isiwatu Adewuyi, the Iyaloja of Kuto Market, said traders would no longer condone illiteracy, revealing that a task force now fines parents N50,000 if their children are found loitering during school hours.
ACP Ogundele Olohunwa, representing the state’s Commissioner of Police, warned that today’s out-of-school children could become tomorrow’s criminals. He urged parents to prioritise their children’s education to avoid creating a breeding ground for future insecurity.
Also, Alhaji Kamaldeen Akintunde, Secretary-General of the Ogun State Muslim Council, emphasized the importance of stakeholders “taking the bull by the horns” and applauded the federal and state governments for their timely intervention.
On his part, Rev. Emmanuel Adekunle, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Ogun State, urged stakeholders to make the initiative a model for other states, stressing that education remains a collective responsibility.
Representing the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children, Dr. Mikail Lawal said the initiative aligns with national priorities and will be closely monitored for impact.
The event also featured representatives of traditional institutions, youth councils, teachers’ unions, and local government chairmen from the six councils in Ogun Central, all of whom pledged support for the initiative.
The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, represented by the Amona Baaroyin of Egbaland, Tajudeen Oladeinde, recalled that Abeokuta was the cradle of formal education in Nigeria with the establishment of the CMS Grammar School in 1854 and Abeokuta Grammar School in 1908. He lamented that despite these historic milestones, many children in the state are still out of school.
“Education is the foundation of a peaceful society. Until every child is educated, many will not sleep in peace. The world no longer recognises the illiterate,” the monarch stated.
The initiative also highlighted Ogun State’s rebranded technical colleges, each now with a focused area of excellence—hospitality in Idi-Aba, construction in Ijebu-Ode, and industry in Igbesa.
The state has also established governing councils and boards for technical education, positioning itself as a leader among Nigerian states.
Director of the Ogun State Agency for Mass Education, Mrs. Ogunlesi, assured that the agency has offices in all local government areas and targets out-of-school children aged 10–18 with specific learning and vocational pathways.
The advocacy campaign is expected to intensify across communities in the coming weeks, with a strong emphasis on awareness, enforcement, and empowerment to bring every child back into the fold of education.
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