Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the growing insecurity and widespread decline in the country are the consequences of years of neglect in the education sector.
He spoke on Saturday in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, during the 17th Annual Founder’s Day of the American University of Nigeria.
He stated, “The crass disregard for education inflicted upon us by the current and successive governments since 2007 has transformed what could have been a vibrant future into a bleak landscape.”
According to him, although Nigeria faces serious divisions and visible violence from armed groups, the deeper and more destructive crisis comes from the long-term abandonment of education, healthcare, and other human development services.
He warned that while the nation struggles with attacks and instability caused by armed groups, the real danger lies in what the neglect of human development sectors will mean for the future.
He appealed to individuals and the private sector to pay closer attention to the poor state of Nigeria’s education system, noting that idle young people have become easy targets for criminal activities.
He added, “Our beloved country, endowed with a youth population of enormous promise, faces staggering challenges that threaten to undermine our most precious asset—our children.”
He noted that millions of Nigerian children are currently not in school, and many of those who attend still end up frustrated by a system that no longer equips them with the skills needed in a fast-changing and competitive world.
Atiku described Nigeria’s education data as alarming, lamenting that the country now holds the unfortunate record of having the highest number of out-of-school children in the world.
