They said this at a roundtable to commemorate this year’s Day of the African Child in Abuja with the theme “Working Together to Achieve Quality Education for our children- A Panacea for Development’.
The experts said insecurity has prevented hundreds of thousands of children from getting quality education. They decried the poor state of toilet facilities in public primary and secondary schools saying it has put pupils at the risk of contracting diseases.
Speaking at the event, Coordinator, International Day for the African Child in Nigeria (IDAY), Mr Mohammed Attah, said the African child is faced with several challenges in the quest for education.
Attah said there is need to improve school buildings, provide clean water and sanitation for pupils in schools across the federation.
The stakeholders also expressed worry over the continued detention of students of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State by terrorists saying it is a setback to education in Nigeria.
The group also frowned at the continued closure of primary schools in Benue and Kogi States due to teachers’ dispute which has lasted over one year even as it called for speedy action to return the children back to their classes.
