By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

A Senator representing Ogun Central Senatorial District in Ogun State, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu has called for the support of traditional rulers in tackling the high rate of out-of-school children in the state.

The Senator, who described education as the “most sustainable form of empowerment,” warned that the region faces a serious future threat, if current trends are not reversed.

Shuaib, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, made the call at the opening of a 2-day capacity building workshop and empowerment of Ogun traditional rulers with the theme “Role in Ensuring Improved Enrolment of Students in Secondary Education”, held at the Ake Palace, Abeokuta.

The workshop, was organised by Senator Shuaib, in conjunction with the National Secondary School Commission and Ampers and Development Partners.

He expressed displeasure on the decreasing enrolment of students in schools in Ogun Central.

He said, “our royal fathers are closer to the people than any institution of government and if their is influence properly harnessed, can drive the change we need.”

He said, “the preeminent position of Ogun Central Senatorial District, with the first Chief Justice of Nigeria, the First lawyer, was premised on education. But if you look at it critically now, you will notice that the quest for education is wanning.

“The enrollment trend is going down. In 10 years, 20 years time, are we going to be able to say as Ogun State or as Ogun Central that we are still in preeminent position as we used to be?

“I therefore want to address the problem from the root. First, by imploring our traditional rulers to serve as education advancement champions.”

He said, “this workshop is in full glance of my commitment to empowerment through education. You will recollect that a few weeks ago, I called the principals, the teachers, and the students from Ogun central senatorial District when WAEC, NECO, JAMB, examinations were approaching. I gave them textbooks, gave them bags, gave them mathematical sets, gave them laptops to prepare them for the examination including past questions.

“You will also recollect that every year I sponsor a thousand candidates for JAMB. I pay for NECO fees, I pay for WAEC registration fees. But also realise that I need to carry the critical stakeholders in this quest to advance education in ogun Central.

“Today, I’m having a workshop capacity building for our traditional rulers. And it’s in two phases. Today is for the Obas across all the six local governments, across all the sphere of influence of Egba Traditional Council. Tomorrow it will be the turn of our baales . And they are coming in hundreds from all our hamlets and our villages. And the message is very simple.

“If our traditional rulers now begin the campaign of saying, yes, there could be challenges of people going to school and not get jobs yet. But when the jobs become available, they are not going to give to people who are not educated.

I am extremely distressed as Chairman of Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security to hear news on yahoo, yahoo boys in my Senatorial District.”

In his remark, the Alake and Paramount ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, acknowledged that education is the genuine tool of development, saying that they should be role model in building characters of young ones.

He commended the Salisu for organising the workshop and for realising the important roles that they can play in order to ensure that more children are enrolled in schools.

On his part, the State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu said education remains the cornerstone of sustainable development, stressing that it is the most powerful weapon use to fight poverty, ignorance, and inequality.

He noted that “despite the efforts of government and other stakeholders, we continue to face serious challenges in enrolment, retention, and learning outcomes—especially in some rural and disadvantaged communities”.

“Children are still dropping out of school due to poverty, early marriage, cultural misconceptions, child labor, insecurity, and in some cases, parental indifference. These are issues that no government can solve alone. That is why we are here today—not just to talk, but to build bridges between policy and tradition, between government and the grassroots, and most importantly, between leadership and the future”.

“As custodians of culture and leaders of thought, you command the respect and attention of your people more than any other institution. When you speak, the community listens. When you act, the people follow. You are therefore strategically placed to champion the cause of education, to mobilize families, and to protect the right of every child to go to school and succeed”.

“This programme is designed to equip you with relevant knowledge and advocacy tools to enable you play even more active roles in supporting education in your domains. Together, we will look at best practices, identify the root causes of low school enrolment, and co-create culturally-sensitive strategies to address them”.

He promised that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, will continue to work closely with your palaces, your chiefs, and your community-based institutions to identify out-of-school children,
Promote girl-child education,
tackle harmful socio-cultural practices, and support school infrastructure and community education committees”.

A major outcome of the event was the adoption of a ten-point communiqué read by the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, His Royal Majesty Oba Saka Matemilola, on behalf of the traditional council.

The communiqué called for the creation of community-based school monitoring teams, mentorship programmes, and the introduction of skill-based curricula tailored to current labour market needs.

“The time has come for our royal fathers to move beyond ceremonial functions and become active agents of change in the education space,” Oba Matemilola declared.

The communiqué also recommended incentives for teachers, youth unemployment interventions, improved access to educational funding, and stronger ties with Egba indigenes in the diaspora to bridge infrastructural gaps.