The Team Lead of Youth Advocate for Change, Adeola Ogunlade, has expressed deep concern over the continued captivity of schoolchildren and teachers abducted in Oyo State, warning against attempts by politicians and other stakeholders to play politics with an issue that directly affects the lives and future of innocent children.

Over two weeks ago, Nigerians woke up to the heartbreaking news of the abduction of 47 persons, including schoolchildren and their teachers, while learning activities were ongoing. The incident has once again exposed the growing insecurity around educational institutions and raised serious concerns about the safety of children in schools across the country.

Accorsing to Ogunlade, “The question remains: What offence have these children committed in their pursuit of education and their desire to become responsible and productive citizens in the future? Schools are meant to be safe spaces for learning, growth, and development, not places of fear and uncertainty.

“The recurring cases of kidnapping involving schoolchildren and teachers have become a national emergency that requires urgent and decisive action. While we commend the Federal Government’s commitment to reducing the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, such efforts may be undermined if schools remain unsafe. Parents will naturally be reluctant to send their children to school when they fear for their safety.

“Nigeria already carries the burden of having one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally. In addition, the country is grappling with numerous educational challenges, including inadequate school infrastructure, poverty, forced displacement of communities, low learning outcomes, and limited access to digital learning opportunities necessary for children to compete globally.

“We witnessed the impact of displacement on education in communities such as Makoko, where thousands of children were affected and many dropped out of school following forced evictions. These existing challenges have already placed significant pressure on the education sector.

“The kidnapping of schoolchildren and teachers now represents another major setback and a serious threat to the efforts of government agencies, development partners, and civil society organisations working tirelessly to improve access to education and learning outcomes for Nigerian children.

“Youth Advocate for Change therefore calls on the Federal Government to urgently review and strengthen the Safe Schools Initiative Programme to ensure that schools, particularly those in vulnerable and underserved communities, are adequately protected.

“Education remains the foundation of national development and the springboard for building a productive, prosperous, and peaceful society. Any threat to the safety of our educational institutions is a direct threat to the future well-being and progress of our nation.

“We urge security agencies, governments at all levels, community leaders, and all relevant stakeholders to intensify efforts toward securing the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted children and their teachers.

“This is not the time for political point-scoring. It is a time for collective action, responsibility, and compassion. The lives, future, and dreams of these children must remain our highest priority.”