Balqees Adeniji
The Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salis has raised the alarm over the growing trend of cybercrime among Nigerian youths, blaming a societal shift toward instant gratification and a weakening educational culture.
The Senator made the remarks on Tuesday during the day 2 of workshop on capacity-building and empowerment session for Baales and community leaders across Ogun Central Senatorial District, held at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta.
The session, which coincided with Children’s Day celebrations, was part of a two-day engagement with traditional rulers, following a similar meeting with Obas on Monday.
The focus was on rallying traditional institutions to combat the rising number of out-of-school children in the state.
“This country is at risk if we don’t reverse the dangerous trend we’re seeing among our youths.
“Too many young people now go to uncles and aunties not to seek help with school fees, but to buy phones or laptops for cybercrime,” Salis warned.
“We must change that mindset. Education remains the greatest form of empowerment.”
The senator, a computer scientist by training, emphasized the need for a complete overhaul of the school curriculum to include skills relevant to the digital age such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital literacy.
However, he warned that such curriculum reforms would be futile without urgent investment in teacher training.
“The curriculum must evolve to meet global realities, but we also need to equip our teachers to deliver it. Many of them are not keeping pace with the changes,” he noted.
Salis stressed that the fight against educational decline must extend beyond the government, pointing fingers at the role of families and communities in restoring the value of formal education.
“A child that is out of school doesn’t belong to the government.
He belongs to a family. And if he ends up on the streets, we all suffer. Government alone can’t fix this,” he said.
He called on traditional rulers to move beyond ceremonial roles and become active agents in promoting education in their communities.
“This is not a photo-op or political fanfare. It’s a serious mission. We need our traditional institutions to lead by example and rally their people around the value of education,” he stated.
Highlighting plans for an Egba Educational Advancement Summit, Salis said the forum will bring together stakeholders from education, technology, civil society, and government to devise lasting strategies for increasing school enrollment and retention in Ogun Central.
The senator also invoked the examples of prominent Egba sons, including late business mogul, Chief M.K.O. Abiola, and Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, who rose to national prominence through educational excellence.
“This community has always placed high value on education. We cannot afford to lose that legacy. It’s time to prioritize again, to make the necessary sacrifices so our children can have a future,” Salis declared.
With a communique from the Obas’ meeting already being circulated among Baales, Salis urged all stakeholders—parents, NGOs, community leaders, and students—to commit to a collective agenda to stem the tide of out-of-school children in the state.
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