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Nigerian leaders, community members must endevour to make education of our children a developmental policy, especially because of the critical role education plays in any national and individual development. Leaders must wake to their responsibility by ensuring strict fiscal discipline, accountability and transparency in budgetary allocation to the education sector, and respect the UNESCO adoption of 26% minimum allocation to education by developing nations, as well as the Universal declaration on Human rights and the International covenant on economic, social and cultural rights(ICESCR),all of which made it incumbent on nations of the world(including Nigeria),to make education available and accessible to everyone on the basis of equality.
The very stringent reasons and measures of the world financial institutions (IMF, WB etc) to lend money to Nigeria does not help the nation either. Even in the western nations where private education is encouraged and practiced, their government does not dream of cutting their expenditure on such vital public institutions. Such cuttings negates the world declaration on education for all (EFA) adopted by over 160 countries including Nigeria and many other African nations. If it was agreed at such conventions and many other education declarations that education no doubt liberates and assists individuals to develop their potentials and become better individuals, then there is the need for more spending on education in Nigeria, with improved curriculum suitable to our cultural and ancestral background and the future needs of our nation. Nigeria must decides the future of its children through the improvement of its educational sector,withouth undue and unfair interference of the likes of IMF and world bank. Development agencies interested in the nation’s development should be encouraged and partnered to invest in education.
Governments at all level must also give priority to special education of special children whose education should as a matter of urgency be made a developmental policy. Nigeria Leaders must wake to their responsibility by ensuring strict fiscal discipline, accountability and transparency in budgetary allocation to the education sector, and respect the UNESCO adoption of 26% minimum allocation to education by developing nations, as well as the Universal declaration on Human rights and the International covenant on economic, social and cultural rights(ICESCR),all of which made it incumbent on nations of the world(including Nigeria),to make education available and accessible to everyone on the basis of equality.
Endowed with so much natural and human resources (including the Nigerian child), our nation Nigeria would be a better place only if there is an increase in investment on education of our children. The success story of some Asian Nations that used to be “developing nation”, but now are developed nations should be an eye opener for our nation. Having all Nigerian children in school could save hundreds of thousands of lives per day. We must realize that unless education is given a central place in resource allocation, the nation may be left behind in achieving the objectives of Education For All Goals and the MDGs. Until and unless the Goal 2 of the MDGs is achieved as the minimum option on quality education provision for the Nigerian child, the future our nation may be in danger.
As we mark this year’s Nigerian children’s day celebration, we must seek answers that address these challenges. We must focus on our children and ensure their voices are heard, their needs met and their fundamental rights protected.
One clear message though is; an investment in the future of our children, irrespective of their physical ability/disability is a fundamental to achieving MDGs and other developmental options, and must start today with them. For the surest way to a better society is through the hope enkindled in children’s eye.
Fatoki Taiye Timmy
(Member, UN Youth Task Force on Climatic Change)
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fatoki taiye timmy
Fatoki Taiye Timmy is a graduate of the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University Zaria. Where He was a Student union leader, advocating for a better welfare for the Nigerian students, and seeking a brighter future for the nation’s young people, especially with regards to information on how students welfare are carried out. Fatoki Taiye Timmy is a follower of young people, he has led them in various capacities including being the chairman of the Best supporters Club [De-whoops] in any Nigerian University. Since leaving the university, and serving the nation through the one year compulsory youth service scheme [NYSC], he has been involved in outreaches, trainings and program implementation in adolescent reproductive and sexual health, STIs/HIV and AIDS and integrated youth development, including entrepreneurial /skills development for youth. These have earned him skills and experiences in health and youth development project design, implementation and design.
He has been working with youth-led and youth focused organizations focusing on sexuality health, child rights [especially the girl and the differently able child] and youth development in Nigeria, using rights based approaches through advocacy, sensitization, training and policy participation and related integrated approaches. As a result of his campaign at the national level for a better deal for the Nigerian youth/child-focusing on health, youth in community development [through participation and involvement], leadership development, volunteering, civic education and the rights of the Nigerian child, he was selected to take part in capacity building for youths involved in human/child rights issues in Nigeria [2003] representing the interest of the Nigerian child, reviewing the human rights of the Nigerian child for the better , sponsored by OSIWA west Africa.
Fatoki Taiye Timmy is a two times national Essay and Arts awards winner. He was also part of the final drafting of the Nigerian Youth Policy agenda in 2004, which is a document policy that takes full responsibility for the development of the Nigerian youth. In the same year Fatoki Taiye Timmy was chosen as a supervisor of the Nigerian National Youth Exchange between the southwest and north central states of Nigeria.An experienced child/youth Rights Advocate; a former senator of the National Association of Nigerian students –NANS [Africa’s largest association], and a two time national Essay and Art Award winner, Fatoki Taiye Timmy is a member of various youth coalitions and network at the national, regional and global level. Based on his experience and good knowledge of the issues affecting the African child, He has presented papers on the challenges face by children in the third world countries and the influence of global politics at both national [at various youth fora and higher institutions of learning] and international scene, most notably at the Voices of Africa-Voices of Resistance international conference at the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and the G8 ALTERNATIVES summit held at the University of Aberdeen, also in the United Kingdom in the year 2005.He has also worked with some state’s children’s parliament to provide a better avenue for their advocacy on improving the child’s rights through better state legislation and adherence to policy formulated. With memorandum presented in two states house of assembly [Osun and Nasarawa state, Nigeria] in protection of the Nigerian child with references to various international treaties signed by the country that guarantees such rights, one state [Nasarawa state] has since signed it into a bill, while it’s in progress in Osun state.
Fatoki Taiye Timmy was a Project Supervisor for an International Youth exchange between Nigeria and the United Kingdom [Global Xchange], supported by the British Council, Voluntary Service Overseas and Life Vanguards.
Fatoki Taiye Timmy is a Program officer [Integrated youth development] Life Vanguards and the Editor Youth Alive magazine respectively. A foundation member of the of the Nigerian youth Social forum, of which one of our aims is to make sure that all Nigerian youths/child have the basic leadership training needed to become an effective leader through total youth development and participation. He is an Alumnus of the Africa Leadership forum Otta.FAtoki taiye Timmy is also Development analyst for the African Regional Initiative.
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