As the nation celebrates Children’s Day on May 27, a day dedicated to recognising the boundless potential, innocence, and joy that children bring, humanitarian and child education advocate, Dr. Christian-Shola, has called on President Bola Tinubu to address the worsening crisis of out-of-school children in Nigeria.
Reflecting on the significance of nurturing the youngest generation, Christian-Shola said media reports that approximately 20 million children in Nigeria were not in school are worrisome and disheartening.
“These statistics represent millions of dreams deferred, solutions untapped, and futures compromised,” he said.
Highlighting the powerful words of Jesus Christ in the holy Bible as captured in the book of Matthew 19:14: “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these,” Christian-Shola said the importance of ensuring that every child is given the opportunity to thrive and fulfill their God-given potential is sacrosanct.
In light of the crisis, Dr. Christian-Shola renewed the call to action directed at President Tinubu-led administration.
He said Tinubu, who is known for his unwavering commitment to education, should leverage his influence to drastically reduce the number of out-of-school children and increase child literacy rates across the country.
He said his advocacy group has consistently championed the cause of child education in Nigeria, adding that as part of the ongoing efforts, the group has committed to following up their public appeal with a formal letter to the Presidency.
“This Children’s Day, let us remember that our children are the leaders of tomorrow,” said a Christian-Shola. “It is our sacred duty to provide them with the education they need to reach their full potential. God bless our children, God bless the Christian Inshallah Foundation, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”