[p]Maryam Uwais has raised an alarming revelation that a number of children in Nigeria are unable to attend school due to the inability to pay a levy as little as N80. This comes as the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) reports that Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school-children in the world, standing at a staggering 20 million for children aged between 6 and 18, with India and Pakistan following closely behind.
In an interview with Channels Television, the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari, Maryam stated that the issue of out-of-school children needs to be addressed with a more strategic and targeted approach. She highlighted the need for feedback and analysis from the National Bureau of Statistics to determine the reasons behind the alarming figures and to devise a more effective solution.
Maryam cited an example of 13 children she encountered in a northern state of Nigeria who were not attending school due to a levy of N80 as parent levy or something similar. She emphasized the need for the state governments to tackle the issue of hidden levies that impact the ability of children to attend school if such levies are identified as a major cause of the problem.
The revelation made by Maryam highlights the urgent need for the Nigerian government to take action in addressing the issue of out-of-school children, which remains a major challenge in the country.
