Obasanjo Warns of Boko Haram Recruitment Risk Due to Out-of-School Children Crisis
Obasanjo Warns of Boko Haram Recruitment Risk Due to Out-of-School Children Crisis
By Matthew Eloyi
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has raised concerns that Nigeria’s growing out-of-school children population could become a breeding ground for future Boko Haram insurgents if left unaddressed.
Obasanjo made this statement during the inauguration of several road projects in Bauchi State on Sunday.
Citing a World Bank report, Obasanjo revealed, “We have over 20 million out-of-school children, representing about 10 percent of our population, and this is a direct recruitment pool for future Boko Haram. We are preparing them for any form of insurgency or banditry that could arise in the next 10 to 15 years.”
He emphasised the urgent need for Nigeria’s leaders to collaborate in addressing this educational crisis, warning that failing to do so could lead to worsening insecurity.
“Apart from these children not being equipped to serve themselves, their families, or their communities, we are essentially grooming them for a future we should be trying to prevent,” he said.
Obasanjo commended Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed for his efforts in infrastructure development, including the newly inaugurated 30-kilometre Gubi-Ruda Bida-Siyi-Nasarawa Road and two other major road projects.
He noted that such projects would boost commerce, enhance transportation, and create jobs in the state.
Governor Mohammed highlighted the transformative vision of his administration, revealing that his government had constructed over 1,482 kilometres of roads across Bauchi, with 79 projects already completed and ready for inauguration.
In addition to the road projects, Obasanjo also launched the distribution of 10,000 hearing aids to indigent residents in the Northeast, an initiative facilitated by the Olusegun Obasanjo Foundation in collaboration with the Starkey Hearing Foundation.
