Femi Gbajabiamila is a Nigerian lawyer and politician. Since 2023, Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila has served as Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria. Olufemi Gbajabiamila previously served as Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria. In the constituencies of Surulere I and II, Femi Gbajabiamila has helped to establish world-class facilities to help inspire the next generation of Nigerians.
This article will look at the numerous initiatives implemented by the Tinubu administration in the realms of education, including Nigeria’s Children’s Day.
The current administration of Bola Tinubu has approved system-wide policies overhauling the education sector. Designed to improve learning and skills development throughout the country, these new policies have helped to increase enrolment and ensure academic security.
Captured as Data Repository, Out-of-School Children Education, Teacher Training and Development, and Skill Development and Acquisition, a system known as ‘DOTS’, the Nigerian Government’s approved policies have been implemented to ensure the availability of verifiable, authentic and coordinated data on all aspects of the education sector. Critical for planning, the new data-tracking architecture will allow the Nigerian Government to follow the progress of students, providing a clear, data-driven mechanism for interventions, especially concerning out-of-school children, those with specific learning difficulties and girls, among others.
President Bola Tinubu announced that Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Education is already implementing the policy via the activities of four of its agencies, bolstering the system-wide policy to further enhance education and training opportunities for the nation’s out-of-school children.
In Nigeria, Children’s Day takes place in May each year, having been established as a national holiday in 1964. Today, it remains a public holiday for primary and secondary school pupils and is celebrated with parades, outings for children or an opportunity for students to try their hand at adult jobs. In some instances, primary and secondary school children compete in military parades, with prizes awarded at the end of the competition. Nigeria’s various religious groups also mark the date in grand style, while public and private organisations put together parties for privileged and less privileged children with the goal of instilling a sense of belonging.
Nigeria Children’s Day 2023 focused on children’s rights amidst the escalating climate crisis. Children from Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Sokoto, Enugu and Maiduguri led discussions on the worst impacts of climate change on their lives and futures.
The discussions centred around various critical issues, including the direct health impacts of climate change on children and young people, including increased instances of malnutrition, waterborne diseases and associated physical dangers. The event also highlighted the alarming rate of child displacement due to environmental catastrophes, with 650,000 children displaced by flooding between 2016 and 2021.
In terms of children’s exposure to the worst impacts of climate change, Nigeria faces severe challenges, ranking as the second-most vulnerable country globally. More than 110 million Nigerian children are at risk, having been exposed to the harsh realities of rising temperatures, severe storms, drought and flooding.
The Nigerian Government has implemented a range of measures to support young people, ensuring their access to educational opportunities. In April 2024, President Bola Tinubu’s administration launched a student loan scheme benefitting 1.2 million beneficiaries.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund’s CEO and Managing Director, Akintunde Sawyer, has announced that the government is ready to begin registering applications from tertiary institution students, with expectations of around 1.2 million students applying in the first instance. As time goes on, the initiative will probably be expanded, Mr Sawyer suggests. For successful applicants, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund will meet the full amount of their fees, paying this sum directly to the relevant learning institution. In addition, there will also be a stipend paid to successful candidates.
