Tinubu must save Nigeria’s children | TheCable

Report: Children’s Criminal Actions and the Importance of Education

Introduction

On Monday, the Ondo State Security Network Agency, otherwise known as Amotekun, paraded 28 people alleged to have committed an assortment of crimes against the state. Amongst them were two teenage sisters, both junior secondary school pupils. The sisters, 15 and 13, allegedly faked their kidnapping and asked their mother for a ransom of N100,000. That broke my heart!

Children’s Criminal Actions

It is one thing for children to contemplate or even embark on criminal missions; it is entirely another thing to make your parents targets of such endeavors. First, kidnapping any human being’s two children already throws that person into emotional turmoil; to compound that by placing monetary demands on the same parent is, in my opinion, the height of cold-heartedness. It is worse when there is only one parent in the equation, and even more unsettling when the only available parent is the mother.

Emphasis on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Now, we don’t know anything about the circumstances of these children or their mother, but the narrative suggests that the mother is the breadwinner, if not the only parent in this family.

1. Given the prevailing economic situation in the country, you would expect children to empathize with their parents and avoid putting unnecessary burdens on them.
2. The older sister talked her sibling into tormenting their mother.
3. They threatened to kill their “victims” if the ransom wasn’t paid within 24 hours.

The second problematic thing about these girls’ actions is their desperation for money. Should money and the desperate acquisition of it be the priorities of children of that age? Why have money and success by all means suddenly become the priorities of children in Nigeria?

Comparison with a Positive Example

The question got more expedient when I came across another thought-provoking report shortly after reading about the Ondo State incident. The second report came with a YouTube video titled “Meeting of the Masters.” The first episode of the short series has legendary Swiss Tennis player, Roger Federer facing 12-year-old Tanitoluwa Adewunmi in a chess match at Columbus Park, New York.

• Tanitoluwa is the child whose Nigerian parents left Abuja to seek religious asylum in the United States to escape violent threats from Boko Haram terrorists, in 2017.
• Tani, as he is known, was seven at this time! For their first year, the family lived in a refugee shelter. It was during this period that the young man joined the chess club at his elementary school. To the surprise of everyone around him, he learnt very fast.

Importance of Education and Opportunities

According to chess.com, the chess prodigy has now “earned his second “IM norm” of the three required to earn the coveted international masters title, at the NY Summer Invitational IM C closed round-robin tournament… He won the tournament in clear first with 7/9 points, the only undefeated player in the field, and ahead of three international masters.”

In his conversation with Federer, who confessed that he was nervous about facing Tani, the young player said he was determined to become a chess grandmaster before he hit the age of 14. He ended his statement by affirming: “I think I can get there.”

Tani asked his opponent how many grand slams he had won. When Federer said twenty and went ahead to list the tournaments where he achieved the feats, the young lad nodded contemplatively. His confidence and understanding of the importance of hard work as a building block for attainment struck me. I could not resist juxtaposing his situation with the self-kidnap story I just read. I found it sad.

Challenges in Nigeria’s Education System

Yet, every Nigerian child can attain the feat Tanitoluwa and many other children achieve worldwide. The only difference is the training and opportunities the country offers for its children.

• For instance, Tani’s potential grew within his first year in the United States. At eight years old one year on, he won the 2019 K-3 New York State chess championship. Before the end of that year, he accumulated seven trophies! The difference: the opportunity to join a club in his school, demonstrate his skill without inhibition, and secure the support of his coaches! He had the opportunity to aspire and the platform to attain his aspiration. He made the best of it!
• Of course, there are many high-achieving children in Nigeria. Now and then, the country throws up global champions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. At some other time, pupils excel and make the country proud in sports.

Call for Action

However, these are mostly children of the elite who have extra attention in expensive private institutions littering the country. There are just a few instances of children in public institutions, where the bulk of the children are, thriving. This is where Nigeria’s problems stand.

Many would suggest that the main problem is with the number of out-of-school children, currently put at about 20 million by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), but this is just a tokenistic view of Nigeria’s challenge.

The reality is that many of those in schools are not learning! Last year, Communication Specialist for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Geoffrey Njoku, hinted that 70 per cent of children in Nigerian schools are not learning. Newspaper reports quoted him as saying, “… it is high time we focused on learning by revamping the education system through teacher training, changing the curriculum, and changing the narrative through quality education.”

This call is one that no country should take lightly. But it is more so for Nigeria, where children and young people constitute a considerable population. UNICEF’s 2022 Situation Analysis of Children in Nigeria indicates that data gathered in 2020 suggest that 52% of Nigeria’s population are children between 0 and 17. The global agency also projects that by 2050, one of every 13 children will be Nigerian. These numbers show that the fate of Nigeria’s children will affect global development in years to come. More importantly, it draws attention to the dangers the country faces without a plan to engage this demographic gainfully.

Recommendations

The educational sector is in shambles,

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 4: Quality Education

The article discusses the challenges faced by Nigerian children in accessing quality education and the impact it has on their development and future opportunities.

SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

The article highlights the economic challenges faced by families, particularly single mothers, and the need for decent work opportunities to alleviate poverty and provide for children’s needs.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The article emphasizes the importance of addressing inequalities in access to education and opportunities for children in Nigeria.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

– Target 4.1: Ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable, and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes.

– Target 4.2: Ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care, and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education.

– Target 4.5: Eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, and children in vulnerable situations.

– Target 8.5: Achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value.

– Target 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

The article does not explicitly mention specific indicators. However, based on the issues discussed, the following indicators can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets:

– Percentage of children completing primary and secondary education.

– Percentage of children with access to early childhood development and pre-primary education.

– Gender parity index in education.

– Employment-to-population ratio.

– Percentage of population covered by social protection systems.

These indicators can provide insights into the level of access to education, gender equality in education, employment opportunities, and social inclusion for children in Nigeria.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Behold! This splendid article springs forth from the wellspring of knowledge, shaped by a wondrous proprietary AI technology that delved into a vast ocean of data, illuminating the path towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Remember that all rights are reserved by SDG Investors LLC, empowering us to champion progress together.

Source: thecable.ng

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