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Will Nigeria meet education components of SDGs?

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3 years ago

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Will Nigeria meet education components of SDGs?

Will Nigeria meet education components of SDGs?

By Perpetua Onuegbu

Education propels growth and industrialisation. Education lays the foundation for virtually all forms of human development that repel poverty.

However, in spite of the obvious contributions of education to growth and development, many African countries lag behind in the implementation of education components of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN.

This is indicated in the Sustainable Development Goals Center for Africa—”Africa 2030: Sustainable Development Goals Three-Year Reality Check” report.

The report indicates that in some instances, there is complete stagnation with more than half of the global poor (those who earn under $1.90 PPP per day) found in Africa.

According to a 2018 UNICEF report 69 per cent of out-of-school children between age six and 14 in Nigeria are in the northern part of country.

UNESCO says globally the figure stands at 144 million children.

The UNCEF report also revealed that Bauchi and Katsina led from the bottom in educationally disadvantages states, with 1.1 million and 781,500 out-of-school children.

Out of this number, girls constitute the largest with 60 per cent of the figure. By the year 2020 the number of out-of-school children had increased to about 14 million.

The number escalated four years later, in 2022, rising to 20 million, according to UNESCO reports.

Saadhna Panday, Chief of Education, UNICEF, blamed the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria on poverty.

She said poverty is among the most significant barrier in the face of prohibitive school fees.

“This has negatively impacted enrollment, retention and completion rates in Nigeria for both boys and girls and presents a threat to ensure universal access to education.

“Low public spending on education is another factor. Nigeria government expenditure on education is as low as 5.6 per cent in 2021. The recommended benchmark of public expenditures on education is 15 to 20 per cent.

“Insecurity, including attacks on schools and abduction of school children, as well as gender-based violence at school place girls at even greater risk of harm.

“Poor learning outcomes contribute to drop out; Inadequate and insufficient physical infrastructure at schools including sex-segregated WASH and toilets facilities.’’ Panday said.

She also explained that insufficient recruitment and supply of trained teachers, including female teachers especially at the junior secondary level pose a challenge to the country achieving the 2030 SDGs.

She said social and gender norms place a low value on education, especially for girls and promote boy-child preference.

According to her limited availability of timely and high quality data also make it difficult for UNICEF and its partners to say with precision the number of out of children.

The Office of the Special Senior Adviser to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) says Nigeria is not relenting in the quest to deliver on SDGs in 2030.

Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire,  Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs) said resources were being mobilised nationwide to promote the realization of the development goals.

“We have too many children out of school in Nigeria. So, it was against this background that my office, in 2018 conducted investigation in some selected states and we came up with a document.

“We are now working on alternate school arrangement and building more schools now for those that will join.

“We are working with Federal Ministry of Education, subnational governments, the Governors’ Forum and the coordinating Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management.

“So, we are working together, using that document to see how best we can do that. Already, the Federal Government is doing one meal a day; we are working to see how we can improve that,’’ Orelope said.

The presidential aide said the outbreak of COVID-19 was turned into an opportunity in the efforts to mitigate the impact the challenge posed by out-of-school children.

“With COVID-19, most of the children on the streets have been reunited with their families and their states are ready to work with us to get them back to school.

“For those of them that are above school age, we intend to set up vocational centres for them.

“But, each of the vocational centres will come with adult literacy classes to ensure that they are able to read and write; they will graduate to vocational classes.

“We are working very well on goal four which is on quality education and we are working on the critical targets of the goal.

She said in 2021, the office spent three quarter of its budget on schools, adding that old ones were being renovated.

While the Federal Government said it is not relenting, some stakeholders agree that more needs to be done if Nigeria can stand any chance of meeting the goals.

At a virtual seminar organised by a group of 85 NGOs, Executive Director, Nigeria Network of NGOs, Oyebisi Oluseyi, said Nigeria must, as a matter of urgency, dismantle all obstacles to equality and quality standard of living as stipulated in the SDGs.

Oluseyi said at the seminar organised as part of the Global Week to Act for the Sustainable Development Goals that eliminating poverty and other forms of discrimination remained one of the only ways to the nation’s growth and prosperity.s globally the figure stands at 144 million children.

The UNCEF report also revealed that Bauchi and Katsina led from the bottom in educationally disadvantages states, with 1.1 million and 781,500 out-of-school children.

Out of this number, girls constitute the largest with 60 per cent of the figure. By the year 2020 the number of out-of-school children had increased to about 14 million.

The number escalated four years later, in 2022, rising to 20 million, according to UNESCO reports.

Saadhna Panday, Chief of Education, UNICEF, blamed the high number of out-of-school children in Nigeria on poverty.

She said poverty is among the most significant barrier in the face of prohibitive school fees.

“This has negatively impacted enrollment, retention and completion rates in Nigeria for both boys and girls and presents a threat to ensure universal access to education.

“Low public spending on education is another factor. Nigeria government expenditure on education is as low as 5.6 per cent in 2021. The recommended benchmark of public expenditures on education is 15 to 20 per cent.

“Insecurity, including attacks on schools and abduction of school children, as well as gender-based violence at school place girls at even greater risk of harm.

“Poor learning outcomes contribute to drop out; Inadequate and insufficient physical infrastructure at schools including sex-segregated WASH and toilets facilities.’’ Panday said.

She also explained that insufficient recruitment and supply of trained teachers, including female teachers especially at the junior secondary level pose a challenge to the country achieving the 2030 SDGs.

She said social and gender norms place a low value on education, especially for girls and promote boy-child preference.

According to her limited availability of timely and high quality data also make it difficult for UNICEF and its partners to say with precision the number of out of children.

The Office of the Special Senior Adviser to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) says Nigeria is not relenting in the quest to deliver on SDGs in 2030.

Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire,  Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP-SDGs) said resources were being mobilised nationwide to promote the realization of the development goals.

“We have too many children out of school in Nigeria. So, it was against this background that my office, in 2018 conducted investigation in some selected states and we came up with a document.

“We are now working on alternate school arrangement and building more schools now for those that will join.

“We are working with Federal Ministry of Education, subnational governments, the Governors’ Forum and the coordinating Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management.

“So, we are working together, using that document to see how best we can do that. Already, the Federal Government is doing one meal a day; we are working to see how we can improve that,’’ Orelope said.

The presidential aide said the outbreak of COVID-19 was turned into an opportunity in the efforts to mitigate the impact the challenge posed by out-of-school children.

“With COVID-19, most of the children on the streets have been reunited with their families and their states are ready to work with us to get them back to school.

“For those of them that are above school age, we intend to set up vocational centres for them.

“But, each of the vocational centres will come with adult literacy classes to ensure that they are able to read and write; they will graduate to vocational classes.

“We are working very well on goal four which is on quality education and we are working on the critical targets of the goal.

She said in 2021, the office spent three quarter of its budget on schools, adding that old ones were being renovated.

While the Federal Government said it is not relenting, some stakeholders agree that more needs to be done if Nigeria can stand any chance of meeting the goals.

At a virtual seminar organised by a group of 85 NGOs, Executive Director, Nigeria Network of NGOs, Oyebisi Oluseyi, said Nigeria must, as a matter of urgency, dismantle all obstacles to equality and quality standard of living as stipulated in the SDGs.

Oluseyi said at the seminar organised as part of the Global Week to Act for the Sustainable Development Goals that eliminating poverty and other forms of discrimination remained one of the only ways to the nation’s growth and prosperity.

Will Nigeria meet education components of SDGs?

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Feature

REJOINDER: On the Call for Vice President Shettima to Resign – A Premature and Misguided Proposition

Published

3 days ago

on

June 25, 2025

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REJOINDER: On the Call for Vice President Shettima to Resign – A Premature and Misguided Proposition

By: Dan Amana

The attention of well-meaning Nigerians, party loyalists, and progressive stakeholders has been drawn to recent comments credited to Mallam Salihu Isa Nataro, a chieftain of our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), in which he called on Vice President Kashim Shettima to resign his position as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

While every citizen is entitled to free expression, it is important to respond when opinion borders on political misjudgment, poor timing, and an inaccurate reading of the political climate and leadership dynamics within the APC.

First, Vice President Shettima enjoys the full confidence and partnership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and continues to discharge his duties with the competence, loyalty, and vision that have defined his public service for over two decades. His contributions to the Renewed Hope Agenda are not only strategic but foundational—especially in areas of national security coordination, economic policy, and intergovernmental diplomacy.

To suggest that the Vice President “resign” for optics or to appease speculative 2027 calculations is both premature and unnecessary. The Vice President is not an accidental passenger in this administration; he is a co-architect of its foundational vision, having stood firmly by the President during the most turbulent moments of the 2023 campaign, and has since been a pillar of national cohesion and administrative stability.

Mallam Nataro’s commentary, though perhaps well-intentioned, unfortunately reflects a misunderstanding of the inner workings of government, party loyalty, and constitutional duty. Leadership is not a reality show of musical chairs, where individuals step aside to make room for ambition or sentiment. The office of the Vice President is not a bargaining chip for regional appeasement but a sacred trust between the Nigerian people and their elected leaders.

More so, APC is not a party of impulsive decisions. It is a movement grounded in strategy, inclusivity, and long-term national development goals. As such, speculative maneuvers aimed at altering the current power structure—midway into a constitutionally mandated tenure—are both distracting and destabilizing.

We also caution against using the North-East geopolitical zone as a token in political negotiations. The region has borne its share of national burdens, and the emergence of Vice President Shettima is a symbol of the APC’s commitment to inclusion, capacity, and national healing. His leadership continues to inspire hope among millions across the region and the nation at large.

In conclusion, we urge party elders and opinion leaders to focus their energies on strengthening governance, deepening internal democracy, and supporting the President and Vice President in delivering on their mandate to Nigerians. Calls for resignation at this critical stage only serve the interest of political opportunists—not the Nigerian people.

Let it be clearly stated: Vice President Kashim Shettima remains focused, committed, and unshaken in his service to Nigeria under the able leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Together, they will continue to lead Nigeria toward peace, prosperity, and purpose.

REJOINDER: On the Call for Vice President Shettima to Resign – A Premature and Misguided Proposition

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Feature

KASHIM SHETTIMA: THE SOUR SIDE FOR A CONSPIRACY

Published

2 weeks ago

on

June 16, 2025

By

KASHIM SHETTIMA: THE SOUR SIDE FOR A CONSPIRACY

By: Inuwa Bwala.

Nobody is trying to force the Vice President Kashim Shettima on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a running mate in 2027.

While it remains Mr President’s prerogative to pick a working partner, it remains a fact that, he should have known the value of Kashim Shettima, having worked with him at very close quaters in the last two years.

Far beyond this, the President is so committed to his covenant with his vice and does not need the ongoing circus show to stick to it.

Those orchestrating for a change in the ticket are perhaps afraid of the evident cause for continuity, hence the desperation to create a make belief that the Vice Presidential slot is open for contest.

Several attempts have been made to drag Shettima and his supporters into needless controversies so as to make an issue out of their blind postulations.

And ever since I got the winds about plans to make an issue out of the perceived plot to substitute the Vice President Kashim Shettima as President Tinubu’s running mate in the 2027 Presidential elections, I knew it is a matter of time for backlashes, as witnessed at the APC Zonal rally in Gombe on Sunday.

Reading the body languages of the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu and his praise choristers, everyone within the hall knew that, there was a grand conspiracy to downplay Kashim Shettima’s position in the endorsement: which was the primary motive for the rally.

And while the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Ganduje was quick to play safe sensing the possible consequences, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State and the Zonal Vice Chairman Mustapha Umar were not so wise to recognize danger.

The governor escaped with jeers, but the APC vice chairman was not so lucky: he received the beating of his life from irrate delegates.
Those who try to link Borno state Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, with the mob reaction to the failure to endorsed Shettima were just being mischievous, as it was spontaneous

Those who witnessed it told me that, both Governor Yahaya and the APC Zonal chairman had ignored calls from delegates to recognize Shettima as an inseparable part of the ticket, which resulted in the jeers for Yahaya and the beating for Mustapha.
While it is not trying to justify the attendant violence and disruption of the rally, one should not fail to point out to leaders, the wisdom in harkening to popular demands at an occasion like this.

Of course, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum and Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State could not have done anything at the particular stage, even if they did not approve of the violence.
Common sense dictates that, as the political atmosphere becomes increasingly charged in the face of perceived plans to shortchange Shettima, who has endeared himself to Nigerians, speakers at such functions should learn from theGombe experience.

KASHIM SHETTIMA: THE SOUR SIDE FOR A CONSPIRACY

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Feature

Harmonizing Retirement Age in Nigeria: A Call for Consistency

Published

1 month ago

on

May 26, 2025

By

Harmonizing Retirement Age in Nigeria: A Call for Consistency
By Raphael Oni

The retirement age in Nigeria has sparked intense debate, with various government agencies and institutions operating under different retirement ages. This inconsistency raises concerns about fairness, equity, and the need for a unified approach. Recently, the organized labour sector, including the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has emphasized the need for a consistent policy across all government agencies and institutions.

The Current State of Retirement Age in Nigeria

Different government agencies and institutions in Nigeria have varying retirement ages, including:

  • National Assembly Service Commission: 65 years
  • Judicial arm of government: 65 years for judges
  • Foreign Service: 60 years for officers
  • Nigeria Police Force: 60 years for personnel
  • National Pension Commission (PenCom): 50 years, extendable to 60 years with approval

This disparity raises questions about fairness and equity. Why should employees in different agencies have different retirement ages? A uniform policy would ensure equal treatment and dignity for all employees.

Benefits of Harmonization

Harmonizing retirement age in Nigeria would bring several benefits, including:

  • Consistency and fairness: A uniform retirement age would ensure equal treatment for all employees.
  • Simplified administration: A single retirement age would simplify administrative processes and reduce confusion.
  • Improved planning: A consistent retirement age would enable employees to plan their careers and retirement more effectively.
  • Enhanced morale: A fair and equitable retirement policy would boost employee morale and productivity.

International Best Practices

Many countries have a uniform retirement age for public servants, such as:

  • United States: 65 years (with option to retire earlier with reduced benefits)
  • United Kingdom: 65-68 years (depending on the scheme)
  • Canada: 65 years (with option to retire earlier with reduced benefits)
  • Australia: 65 years (with plans to increase to 70 years)
  • Morocco: 60 years (with discussions to raise to 65)
  • South Africa: 65 years (new reform)

Proposed Harmonized Retirement Age for Nigeria

Based on international best practices and Nigeria’s economic and demographic context, a harmonized retirement age of 60-65 years could be considered. This would allow employees to retire with dignity and adequate pension benefits while ensuring sustainable pension obligations.

Agency-by-Agency Analysis

  • Foreign Affairs: Harmonizing retirement age would ensure equal treatment for Foreign Service officers.
  • National Assembly Service Commission: Harmonization would ensure consistency across all government institutions.
  • Judicial: Given the importance of judicial experience, the retirement age may be justified, but harmonization would ensure equal treatment.

Challenges and Considerations

Implementing a harmonized retirement age policy would require careful consideration of:

  • Pension sustainability: Ensuring sustainable and adequately funded pension obligations.
  • Employee morale: Balancing the needs of employees affected by changes to their retirement age.
  • Economic context: Considering the economic implications of a harmonized retirement age policy.

Conclusion

Harmonizing retirement age in Nigeria is a necessary step towards ensuring fairness, equity, and consistency across all government agencies and institutions. A uniform retirement age policy would promote simplicity, improve planning, and enhance employee morale. The government should consider adopting a consistent policy that applies to all, taking into account international best practices and Nigeria’s economic and demographic context.
Raphael Oni a seasoned journalist, Editor-in-chief of Diplomatic Extra, a Specialized Magazine

Harmonizing Retirement Age in Nigeria: A Call for Consistency

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