SGF George Akume has warned that escalating attacks on schools are making Nigeria’s education crisis worse. Speaking at the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council’s first meeting of the year in Abuja, he called for stronger government action to keep children safe in classrooms.
“A child cannot learn fraternity in fear; a nation cannot preach literacy while schools are under threat,” Akume said — a line that cuts through the usual bureaucratic language around education policy.
The backdrop: about 15 million Nigerian children are currently out of school, one of the highest numbers in the world. Many are in areas where schools have been closed because of insecurity or the threat of it.
Akume also referenced Nigeria’s new International Media and Information Literacy Institute, launched with UNESCO support, arguing that media literacy and religious literacy need to be tackled together if the country is going to fight misinformation and hate speech effectively.
He challenged schools, religious institutions, universities, and media organisations to work together to raise young Nigerians grounded in faith and peaceful coexistence.
Sources: THISDAYLive, Punch, Businessday, Vanguard
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