In a bid to support vulnerable children and promote education, ActionAid Nigeria has distributed school materials worth millions of naira to children in the Gwagwalada and Leleyi Basa communities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The initiative, which was part of the Back2School Campaign, aimed to provide essential school items such as bags, sandals, uniforms, books, and mathematical sets to children from low-income families who struggle to afford basic education materials.
Speaking at the event, Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria, Andrew Mamedu, stressed the urgency of addressing the rising number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, which currently stands at 18.3 million, according to UNICEF.
“This figure is alarming. Many children are unable to attend school because their parents cannot afford basic school items. As stakeholders in society, we cannot fold our hands and watch this number increase,” Mamedu stated.
He explained that in December, the organisation launched a fundraising campaign to support the initiative and raised about ₦1 million, which made the outreach possible. “Today, we are providing backpacks, school sandals, mathematical sets, and other learning materials to about 100 children.”
Mamedu further highlighted the harsh realities facing children in these communities. “For many of these children, this is their first time receiving such school materials. Some of them walk up to an hour just to attend the nearest primary school. Beyond this donation, we are advocating for the establishment of a primary school in this community, and we will follow up with the government to make it a reality.”
He reaffirmed their commitment to education advocacy and promised to return in a year to evaluate progress.
Also speaking, Director of Business Development and Innovation, Nkechi Ilochi-Kanny, stressed that education is a fundamental right and called on the government to fulfill its responsibility.
“Our approach is human rights-based, meaning the government has the primary duty to provide education. We are reaching two communities per month, but imagine if we raised ₦100 million—how many more children we could help,” Ilochi-Kanny said.
A representative of the FCT Universal Basic Education Board (UBEB), Abdurahaman Ibrahim Mohamed, acknowledged the situation and assured that the government is working on plans to establish 10 new junior secondary schools across various communities in the FCT.
Additionally, Samuel Nuhu, a volunteer teacher in Gwagwalada, noted the daily struggles children face due to the absence of a school in the community.
“Education is the foundation of any society. Without it, these children have no future. Some of them walk an hour just to get to school. The school bags will help them protect their books, and the mathematical sets will aid their learning. These simple items make a huge difference in their lives,” Nuhu explained.
He urged the government to take urgent action. “These children have been left behind for too long. The government must step in to provide them with access to quality education. People in this community cannot continue suffering in silence.”
