A professor of family law at the University of Ibadan, Osifunke Sekinah Ekundayo, has urged the National Assembly to amend Nigeria's constitution to incorporate compulsory basic education for all children of school age.
Professor Ekundayo made this appeal while delivering the 580th inaugural lecture of the University of Ibadan on Thursday. The lecture, titled "Speaking Up for the Numerous Voiceless Children Shut Out of School in Nigeria: An Endless Odyssey," highlighted the critical need for constitutional provisions that would guarantee free and compulsory basic education as a fundamental right.
"There is a need for a constitutional amendment that would incorporate a substantive right to free and compulsory basic education and empower citizens to enforce that right judicially," Ekundayo stated during her presentation.
The professor decried the alarming rate of out-of-school children in Nigeria, describing it as a reflection of systematic exclusion. She emphasized that access to and completion of primary education for every Nigerian child is the responsibility of the state.
Poverty as a Major Barrier to Education
Ekundayo identified poverty as one of the primary reasons many children fail to complete primary education in Nigeria. She noted that while the country has made attempts to implement free and compulsory primary education, numerous challenges persist.
"Poverty is a recurring reason for non-completion of primary school education in Nigeria. The country has made attempts to implement the inherent right to free and compulsory primary education for all children, albeit there are still several challenges faced by disadvantaged children," she explained.
Other challenges highlighted by the professor include conflicts, cultural beliefs, insufficient funding, and the lack of substantive constitutional provisions to guarantee the right to free and compulsory primary education.
Recommendations for Comprehensive Educational Reform
The don recommended that the abolition of school fees should extend beyond tuition to include all schooling costs borne by families and households. She stressed that the government should ensure primary education is available, accessible, acceptable, and adaptable for all children.
"To ensure that all children have unhindered access to education, the abolition of school fees should not focus only on tuition, but also on the wide range of schooling costs borne by families and households," Ekundayo advised.
She further emphasized that quality education is crucial for addressing human rights abuses and ensuring that no child is left behind in Nigeria's educational system.
"For Nigeria to comply with international human rights standards on education, the state must be willing to recognize the right constitutionally and prioritize its resources accordingly," she concluded.
