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13.2 million, number of Nigerian children out-of-school, says UBEC

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The Universal Basic Education Commission has said that the population of Nigeria’s out-of-school children has increased from 10.5 million to at 13.2 million.

The UBEC Executive Secretary, Dr Hammid Bobboyi, stated this in Abuja on Thursday during a United Nations Children’s Fund briefing on out-of-school children.

Bobboyi, who was represented by the Director of Social Mobilisation, Bello Kaigara, said the 2015 Demographic Health Survey had confirmed the development.

He said, “Over the last few years, Nigeria has been besieged by the Boko Haram and lots of children have been put out of school. If you add the number of children that have been displaced and the increasing number of births, you find out that our source in DHS conducted by UNICEF published in 2015 reveals that the number of out-of-school children has increased to 13.2 million. This is equally affecting the implementation of some education treaties that Nigeria is a signatory to.”

UNICEF said it was partnering with over 200 traditional rulers from 19 Northern states to deliberate on handling Nigeria’s out-of-school children, noting that they were mainly from the Northern region.

The United Nations agency said the reason why more children were out of school in the North was “rooted in socio-cultural and economic environment barriers, cost of education, poverty and negative perceptions to formal education.”

The UNICEF Chief of Education, Terry Durnnian, said the growing out-of-school population called for “serious concern and Nigeria should take on the challenge of reducing the number”, noting that UNICEF would support the process.

Also, the UN agency in a release on Thursday by Azuka Menkiti and Geoffrey Njoku, said a Northern Nigeria Traditional Rulers Conference in Kaduna State would bring together about 200 emirs to seek solutions to the growing out-of-school population.

“In a two-day conference, stakeholders from the two critical zones in northern Nigeria – North-West and North-East – key traditional rulers and religious leaders will brainstorm on the obstacles to getting the children in school and decide on actions to be taken.

“A final Agenda for Action will be endorsed by the two chairmen of the conference – the Sultan of Sokoto and the Shehu of Borno. Each of the participating emirs will sign a Commitment for Action,” the release partly reads.

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Nigerians Seek Woman Who Spoke Out Eloquently Against Fuel Scarcity In Viral 1994 TV Clip

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April 30th 1994, 30 Years Ago, And Till Today Nothing Has Really Changed.

Netizens have gone in search of a beautiful and well-spoken woman who spoke out against fuel scarcity 30 Years Ago.

A user on X.com, Jackie, who identifies as #JWEZEE had shared the video yesterday with the caption, “On this day April 30 1994, same day same time, only difference 30years ago.

“Nigerians in long fuel queues lamenting, 30years later they are still lamenting. And In another 30years will still lament, why? Because patterns don’t lie.”

In the video, which has since gone viral, Nigerians were seen queuing to purchase fuel and lamenting their predicament as citizens waiting in long queues with their gallons to buy fuel.

The woman passionately addressed the unfairness of soldiers skipping queues to resell fuel, highlighting a longstanding problem.

She said in part, “You have the soldiers that come, they buy petrol, they put it in jerry cans they sell it right in front of these people, it’s ridiculous.

“They get the fuel themselves, why do they have to come here, they don’t join the queue, they just buy and they sell right in front of people, it’s ridiculous. Something has to happen.”

The 30-year-old video which recently surfaced coincides with the current fuel price hike across the country.

Here is the viral video from 30 years back.

Currently, the country is facing fuel scarcity and price hike, with fuel being sold at N900 per litre in some states. This has affected the price of goods in the nation.

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FG Declares May 1st Public Holiday To Mark Workers’ Day

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The Federal Government had declared Wednesday, May 1st, 2024, as a public holiday to mark this year’s Workers’ Day.

Nigeria’s Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo made the declaration, according to the ministry’s Permanent Secretary Aishetu Ndayako.

“The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, 1st May 2024 as a Public Holiday to commemorate this year’s Workers’ Day Celebration,” Aishetu said in a statement on Tuesday, April 30.

“In alignment with this year’s theme, which focuses on ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate, I wish to state that the Federal Government remains steadfast in its resolve to prioritise the safety and well-being of all citizens,” the minister said.

“Let me reaffirm Mr. President’s commitment to providing a conducive environment for work, where every worker can thrive and contribute meaningfully to national development”.

The minister, who acknowledged the contribution of workers, called for more measures to mitigate the adverse effects of climate change through synergy.

“The Minister also urged Nigerians to remain committed to the present administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda as he wishes workers a happy celebration,” the statement read.

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“There Would Be total Blackout For Three Months If Electricity Tariff Hike Is Not Implemented ” – Minister Of Power Warns

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The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, has warned that there would be a total blackout in the country in the next three months if the proposed electricity tariff hike is not implemented.

The minister gave the warning in Abuja when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Power at an investigative hearing over the recent electricity tariff hike by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC)on Monday, April 29.

In his words

“The entire sector will be grounded if we don’t increase the tariff. With what we have now in the next three months, the entire country will be in darkness if we don’t increase tariffs. The increment will catapult us to the next level. We are also Nigerians, we are also feeling the impact.”

He said the sum of $10 billion is needed yearly for the next ten years to revive the nation’s power sector and nip in the bud the challenges bedevilling it.

“For this sector to be revived, the government needs to spend nothing less than 10 billion dollars annually in the next 10 years.

“This is because of the infrastructure requirement for the stability of the sector. But the government cannot afford that. And so we must make this sector attractive to investors and to lenders. So, for us to attract investors and investment, we must make the sector attractive, and the only way it can be made attractive is that there must be commercial pricing.

“If the value is still at N66 and the government is not paying subsidy, the investors will not come. But now that we have increased the tariff for A Band, there are interests being shown by investors,” he said.

Adelabu said the inability of the government to pay outstanding N2.9 trillion subsidy was due to limited resources, hence the need to evolve measures to sustain the sector.

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