FEATURE… Osun’s Out-of-School Crisis: Stories of poverty, hardship, and resilience

On a scorching Tuesday afternoon at the entrance of Obafemi Awolowo University, where Town-Gboro buses regularly drop off and pick up students and staff, a group of teenagers, aged between 11 and 17, darted between passersby, pleading for alms. The children were Kudus Ayomide, Ayomide Olabosun, Ezekiel Fajemila, Olabosun Daniel, and Toheeb Akinpelu.

“Uncle, please help me—give me anything you can afford. God will bless you,” Kudus, a 15-year-old boy clad in tattered, worn-out clothes begged.

A short distance away, Ayomide (16), Ezekiel (14), Daniel (15), and Toheeb (17) echoed similar pleas, approaching commuters for financial assistance.

When asked why they were begging during school hours, they all responded, “Our parents cannot afford to pay our school fees. Feeding the family is challenging enough, let alone saving for school. What we get from begging is not just for ourselves, we support our parents with it to survive”

Kudus, the eldest of his mother’s two children, explained that he resorted to begging out of no choice to support his family. When asked why he was on the street instead of in class, he replied remorsefully, “Because I want to make money.”

“My parents are elderly subsistence farmers, ” he continued, “too weak to do hard work anymore. Right now, they are at the farm with my younger sister, doing the little they can to feed us,” he said.

According to Kudus, whatever he earns from begging, combined with the meagre proceeds from his parents’ farm produce sustains the family. However, he lamented that the harvest from his parents’ farm is never enough and that is why he had to join his friends to beg.

When asked if he would consider school again if he had the opportunity, Kudu’s eyes lit up with hope, saying, “I would be grateful if I had such a privilege. It has always been my dream to be in school because I dream of becoming a pilot.”

Ayomide Olabosun, 16 years old, sharing a similar fate, explained that he was not in school due to his parents’ financial situation.

“I’m not in school because of a lack of money,” he said regretfully.

On inquires about his parents, where they live, whether they knew he was begging on the street, and the last time he visited home, he replied, “They are in Ijio, near the central market. It’s been a long time since I last went home, and I think they (parents) are not bothered about me because they are already used to it.”

Ayomide then shared that he was once enrolled at Local Authority Primary (LA) School in Ijio but had to drop out in Primary Six due to a lack of money. “I was once attending LA primary school at Ijio but stopped going when I got to primary six because my parents could no longer pay for my school fees,” he explained.

When asked if he would consider going back to school if he had the opportunity, he responded, “I will be glad if I have the opportunity; I wish to become a lawyer and become rich and famous in life,” he stated with determination.

Daniel, the youngest among them, stopped going to school when he got to Primary Three due to his mother’s inability to pay his school fees. He explained that after his father passed away, his mother was left to care for both him and his younger sister.

“My mother is a petty trader; she sells Òrónbó (lime) at Enuwa Market. Since my dad passed away, she has been the only one caring for both my sister and me, without help from family or anyone. She managed to enrol my sister and me in school, but I had to stop when I got to Primary Three because she couldn’t afford to pay for both of us. She did her best, but other responsibilities, like feeding and paying rent, made it too difficult for her to sponsor us,” he said remorsefully.

Similarly, Daniel said, “I still remember a particular time when she sold her clothes just to pay for my school fees when I was in Primary Two—and that was before my sister started school.”

Like Kudus and Ayomide, Ezekiel also maintained that begging was the option he could opt for since his parents could not afford his education. “I wish I had the same privileges as children from wealthier homes. I wish I also had the chance to sit in a classroom, learn, and be adequately equipped for the future. But sadly, here I am begging to eat, and I have no choice but to accept it,” he said with regret.

When asked if his parents knew about his begging, he replied, “Yes, they know. My mother sometimes comes at night to help. But we don’t just beg; we also assist shop owners and street vendors, those selling food near the Maintenance Hostel, by running errands. That’s how we earn money and get food also,” he shared.

These teenagers represent a larger group of children in Nigeria who are out of school due to various factors hindering their potential and opportunities in life; obstacles often tied to poverty, cultural beliefs, a poor educational system, early marriage for girl-children, among others, which are factors behind the reason why a handful of Nigerian children are not in school.

Street over class—Government’s approach

Investigations revealed that during school hours, some public spaces in Osun State are occupied by children who should be in school, some of whom are found either begging on the streets or hawking goods, while others can be found at motor parks and joints where hemp and alcohol are sold. Some are also seen scavenging daily for survival.

Despite the Child’s Rights Act of 2003, which guarantees basic education for children below the age of 18, this right seems elusive in Osun State, where the number of out-of-school children is on the rise, making it the state with the highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria according to a report by New Telegraph published on October 15, 2022 themed: “Osun Records highest number of Out-School-Children in the South West”

Explaining the survey, UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, Muhammad Okorie, said 14.88 per cent of male children in Osun and 11.5 per cent of female children, making 13 an average rate, were out of school in the state.

A UNICEF report highlights that Nigeria has around 10.5 million out-of-school children, despite primary education being officially free and compulsory. Estimates suggest the total number of out-of-school children in the country is about 18.5 million, with girls comprising 60% (over 10 million) and boys accounting for the remaining 8.5 million. However, the Northern states like Kebbi, Yola, Sokoto, Zamfara, and Borno have the highest concentration of these children.

Meanwhile, according to a report, Osun State dropped to 4th position in the rank of states with highest number of children out of school falling behind Oyo State, which has the highest percentage of secondary school-aged children not in school in the Southwest, at 10.5% and 15.4% in Oyo and Osun, respectively. Notably, Ife accounts for 18% of Osun State’s total out-of-school children.

The Osun State Commissioner for Education, Mr. Eluwole Adedipo, in a report, attributed the failure and challenges in the education sector to the flawed policies of the previous administration.

According to him, the construction of mega schools under the past administration led to the consolidation of several schools, which resulted in a large drop in the state, as most parents could not afford the expensive tuition and the logistical challenges in accessing the new school locations.

In addressing this issue, Governor Ademola Adeleke, upon assuming office in 2023, approved the appointment of 5,000 teachers and 250 education officers to fill existing vacancies in the state. Additionally, as part of an attempt to mitigate the effect, the governor has provided essential learning tools to enhance qualitative and affordable education for all in the state.

In a statement released by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, it was revealed that Governor Adeleke granted this approval following deliberations during the State Executive Council meeting the week before.

“The Council acknowledged that the approval for teacher recruitment follows the completion of the need assessment commissioned by the Governor last year.

“He further instructed the Ministry of Education to expedite the recruitment process to strengthen the education system,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, reviewing the state’s previous education budgets highlights the sector’s struggles due to chronic underfunding. ‘Over the years, education has received a relatively small portion of the state’s total budget,’ the statement reads.

For instance, in 2021, Osun State allocated ₦10.7 billion to education, representing just 9.7% of its total ₦109 billion budget. However, in 2022, the allocation increased significantly to ₦26.6 billion—the highest in the state’s ₦129.7 billion total budget for that year. This funding covered primary, secondary, and tertiary education, including infrastructure, salaries, and other educational programs.

Meanwhile, an investigation into why a majority of children are out of school revealed that education in Osun is under serious threat. Parents, guardians, educators, and school administrators expressed concerns over the significant surge of children not in school. Some children, as discovered, have either never enrolled in school or dropped out at an early stage, underscoring the urgent need for immediate intervention.

READ ALSO: Cassava Technologies, Accenture partner to drive sovereign AI cloud adoption in Africa  

Convergence at the Maintenance Hostel, OAU Campus Gate and Motor Parks

A group of children out of school can often be found in front of the Maintenance Hostel, a student accommodation hostel located along the Ife-Ede road, motor parks, and the OAU campus gate. While their peers are in classrooms learning, these children form small clusters, roaming the streets in search of means to survive.

Kudus Ayomide, one of the children who spoke with us, shared his story, saying he came from Oke-Owena, a community about 30 to 35 kilometres from Ife South Local Government, to join others of his age at the Maintenance Hostel and OAU campus gate, where they beg for alms daily.

“I have never been to school since birth,” he admitted. “Both my parents are aged farmers who earn little or nothing from their small farm. I am the first of their four children.”

Similarly, at a popular mini-park near the university’s main gate, children between 7 and 13 years old gather daily. They are usually seen playing around and seeking financial assistance from commuters.

These children come from Sabo, Lagere, Modakeke, and other parts of the town to beg. When asked why they were not in school, Amidu, a 13-year-old, said, ‘because we don’t have the money,’ she boldly said.

One of them, Bintu Sadr, explained her situation saying she and her five-year-old sister, Alima, visit the park every day to beg so that they can eat. “We are begging because we have to eat,” she simply stated, ” and we also need to take something home for our mother.”

Reasons behind increase in out-of-school children in Osun

Despite the state government’s swift efforts to ensure every child is enrolled in school, the reality on the ground suggests otherwise. Many children who ought to be in class during school hours are still seen roaming the streets, begging, or hawking during school hours to survive.

A major factor responsible for this is poverty. Many parents cannot afford the cost of education—school fees, uniforms, learning materials, and even daily feeding pose serious challenges. According to UNESCO, about 15 million children of primary school age are out of school across Nigeria, largely due to poverty.

“When families have limited resources, education often takes a back seat as parents focus on immediate survival,” noted Prof. Idowu, a Philosophy lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University.

However, poverty is not the only factor, as claimed by a teacher at Urban Day Secondary School, Ile-Ife, who preferred to remain anonymous, highlighting that cultural practices, religious beliefs, child labour, and seasonal farming activities also contribute to the problem.

“The out-of-school situation is caused by several factors aside from poverty, though poverty remains the ultimate cause. For instance, during the rainy season, many children skip classes to help their parents on the farm,” she explained. She further recalled a case where a female student was withdrawn from school for an entire term just to work on the farm with her parents.

Similarly, a Civic Education teacher at Moremi High School, also speaking anonymously, identified another layer of the challenge that is conditioned on a shortage of staff and poor learning conditions.

“Apart from the financial incapacity of parents, the laying off of teachers by the state government without immediate replacement has left many schools severely understaffed. Here at Moremi High School, some teachers handle two or three different subjects, which is not ideal. The dilapidated state of classrooms, lack of adequate teaching resources, and the indifference of some parents further compound the problem,” the teacher explained.

Analysts’ Comments; Perspectives and Advice to Government

Dr. Idris Saminu, a lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, has identified poor policy implementation and a weak budgeting system as major barriers to tackling the crisis of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ workshop themed “Bridging the Gap: Empowering Locals through Technological Innovation in Educationally Disadvantaged Communities in Northern Nigeria”, Saminu explained that Nigeria’s budgeting system often fails at the point of fund allocation because it does not align with policy timelines. He noted that while proposals are frequently reported in the media as if funds have already been allocated, the reality is often different. “The numbers are there—we know millions of children are out of school—but because policies and budgets don’t align, most interventions fail before they even start,” he said.

Adding to this, Dr. Folahanmi Aina of the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, argued that legislation can be used to create policies that hold both government and parents accountable. He stressed the importance of partnership between families and the state, lamenting that Nigeria ranks highest globally in the number of out-of-school children—over 11 million, mostly in the North. Aina added that insecurity and poor learning environments further discourage school attendance, even when parents are willing to send their children to school.

On his part, Mr. Babafemi Matthew, founder of the Homeless Not Hopeless Initiative, an NGO initiative committed to helping the elderly through food palliatives, distributing sanitary pads to secondary school girls, and sponsoring indigent students, highlighted three major critical factors keeping children out of school: poverty, inflation, and lack of proper orientation.

According to him, poverty remains the most visible obstacle. Many parents simply cannot afford school fees, uniforms, or basic supplies. “Through my initiative, I have supported children whose parents could not afford a single term’s fee. Without such support, these potentially laden children would still be roaming the streets,” he said.

Inflation, he added, “makes the problem even worse. The rising cost of living means that even families who once managed to keep their children in school are now struggling because what they formerly buy at the rate of #500 is now double in price. Some children whose parents comfortably pay their school fees later dropped out again because their parents could not afford to pay it again as a result of the hike in the price of commodities.”

Beyond poverty and inflation, Babafemi stressed the issue of a lack of proper orientation. He explained that in many rural areas, some parents do not fully grasp the long-term value of education. Instead, they push their children into petty trading, hawking, or menial work, believing it provides quicker relief for the family’s financial needs.

“You know, some parents don’t really understand the long-term benefits of education. That’s why they would rather have their children learn a trade or pick up a skill instead of going to school. In some cases, cultural beliefs play a big role too. For example, there are parents who feel that girls don’t need much education because they will eventually get married, and their husband’s home will be where they ‘learn about life.’ Sadly, this kind of thinking is one of the reasons why many young girls, especially in the Northern part of the country, are given out in marriage at a very early age.”

Mr Babafemi therefore urged the government to act with urgency and not leave the problem unattended. “If these issues are not addressed on time, today’s out-of-school children will not remain victims of circumstances—they will become frustrated and later become tools of destruction the society itself will have to battle. The government must do the needful now, before these children become the nemesis of the nation in the future,” Babafemi warned.

By: Lawal Usman Olarenwaju