Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has warned that Nigeria’s growing population of out-of-school children poses a direct security threat, describing them as potential recruits for future waves of violent extremism.
Speaking on Tuesday at the inauguration of the Bakhita ICT Centre in Sokoto, Mr Obasanjo said the estimated 24 million children currently out of school constitute a “time bomb” if leaders fail to urgently address the crisis.
“You don’t need an oracle to know they will become the recruiting ground for the Boko Haram of tomorrow,” he said, urging federal and state authorities to prioritise human development, job creation and youth empowerment.
UNICEF estimates that more than 10 million of the country’s out-of-school children are in northern Nigeria, where poverty, insecurity and the Almajiri system intersect to deepen education deficits. The region has also borne the brunt of violent extremism, mass abductions of schoolchildren, and repeated disruptions to learning.
Mr Obasanjo warned that failure to act decisively could worsen Nigeria’s fragility:
“If we fail to prepare now, the Boko Haram of today will be child’s play compared with what we may face in the future,” he said as quoted by the Punch.
The Bakhita ICT Centre, which he commissioned, was built by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, with support from philanthropist Aare Afe Babalola. The facility, equipped with 250 laptops and 50 tablets, is designed to train young people in digital literacy and vocational skills.
Bishop Kukah, in his remarks, challenged northern leaders to stop treating poverty as destiny.
“Among the almajiri on our streets, there could be an Albert Einstein,” he said, stressing that leaders, parents and clerics share responsibility for unlocking children’s potential.
He also underscored interfaith collaboration, adding, “Christians and Muslims may quarrel, but mosquitoes don’t discriminate. They bite everyone in the mosque and in the church. We all catch malaria. That is God’s way of reminding us to work together.”
The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, cautioned against divisive narratives, insisting that Nigeria’s diversity should be a source of strength.
“Hunger doesn’t know your ethnic group. Problems affect us all, and solutions must come from us working together,” he said.
The inauguration drew traditional rulers, clerics, politicians and youths, and featured cultural performances celebrating Nigeria’s shared heritage.
