By Funmilayo Adeyemi

The Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) has expressed deep concern over the growing number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, particularly among the country’s most vulnerable populations.

CSACEFA Moderator, Peculiar Caleb, disclosed this in a communiqué issued on Thursday at the end of a two-day meeting of the coalition’s Facilitating Committee in Abuja.

Caleb, who also serves as the South-South Zonal Coordinator of the coalition, said the meeting focused on urgent issues affecting Nigeria’s education sector, as well as internal coalition matters.

Among the key challenges highlighted were widespread insecurity, the effects of climate change, poverty, and the ongoing strike by primary school teachers in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Caleb warned that the increasing number of out-of-school children posed a significant threat to the country’s educational development goals.

“We need coordinated action at both national and subnational levels to reverse this trend,” she stated.

Speaking on the worsening security situation, Caleb condemned the recent Benue massacre and called for urgent government intervention, while extending condolences to the victims’ families and the people of Benue State.

“CSACEFA condemned the alarming spate of insecurity in Nigeria, including the recent massacre in Benue State, banditry in the North-West, insurgency in the North East, and kidnappings in the South.

“The committee described the killings in Benue as barbaric and akin to genocide and called for decisive action by relevant authorities,” she said.

Caleb also criticised the prolonged strike by FCT primary school teachers over unpaid salaries, expressing concern about its adverse impact on the cognitive and social development of pupils.

She urged the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to intervene promptly to resolve the dispute and ensure that teachers returned to the classroom.

She called on all tiers of government to increase budgetary allocations to education in line with global benchmarks, stressing that education was a shared responsibility under the concurrent legislative list.

On internal coalition matters, Caleb revealed that the Facilitating Committee had reviewed ongoing grievances and reaffirmed its commitment to unity and professionalism.

She expressed concern that some previously sanctioned or delisted individuals had attempted to damage the coalition’s reputation among external partners.

Caleb encouraged committee members to continue upholding the coalition’s values of integrity and collaboration.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting was attended by CSACEFA Zonal Coordinators from across the country, including the FCT, North-West, North-Central, North-East, South-East, and South-West. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)

Edited by Abiemwense Moru