By Sunday Ameh
The gubernatorial candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Oyo State, Chief Adegboyega Adegoke, has raised the alarm over the rising number of out-of-school children in the state.
Adegoke described the situation as worrisome, noting that thousands of children who should be receiving formal education are currently out of school.
The ADC candidate spoke in Ibadan, the state capital, on Monday during the inauguration of his campaign council.
A recent report cited by DAILY POST indicated that Oyo State has the highest number of out-of-school children in the South-West, with about 674,324 children between the ages of three and 17 reportedly out of school.
Reacting to the development, Adegoke questioned how such a large number of children could remain outside the education system despite the substantial federal allocations received by the state.
He argued that addressing the education crisis would require stronger attention to grassroots development and effective utilisation of resources.
“Local government autonomy is a vital tool in grassroots human development and economic growth,” Adegoke said.
He stressed the importance of strengthening local governments to enable them to respond more effectively to pressing challenges affecting residents, particularly in education and human capital development.
The ADC candidate’s comments come amid growing concerns over the state of basic education and the increasing number of children outside the classroom across parts of Nigeria.
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