National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has expressed deep worry over the high rate of kidnapping in Nigeria schools, lamenting that no fewer than 1000 students have been abducted in schools between 2020 and 2022 alone.
NANS National Treasurer, Chinyelu Okolie who disclosed this during a World Press Conference at the Michael Okpara University Umudike, MOUAU, identified insecurity as a big monster threatening education in Nigeria.
" There is high level of insecurity in most of our campuses leading to several reports of kidnapping, theft and death in the students community. It's horrendous to recount that over 1000 students were abducted from Nigerian schools in the last two years", she lamented.
NANS also decried the high cost of education in the country, regretting that over 10.5 million students are out of school due to financial incapability.
" Low income earners are unable to pay for their children's tuition fees, thus, discouraging them from acquiring basic education".
NANS which said "Nigeria's educational system is under severe threat of total collapse and continuous decline", attributed the sad development to inadequate funding, incessant strike actions by both academic and non academic staff, tribalism, quota system, among others.
The students who regretted that they now spend longer years than necessary due to incessant strike actions called for urgent action to halt further collapse of the education sector..
They noted that education is the passport to opportunities, and in turn, should be the basic fundamental right of every citizen, but unfortunately, education in Nigeria is bedeviled with myraid of challenges."
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The students further regretted that over the years, Nigeria's education sector has been allocated much lower than the 26% of the national budget recommended by the United Nations.
" Most of our institutions' infrastructure are dilapidated and are mostly inconvenient for practical classes as should be hence, they are left with theories rather than sufficient practice, thereby denying us the opportunity to compete favourably with other countries of the world", they agonised.
NANS appealed to critical stakeholders in the education sector to identify better ways of tackling challenges militating against education instead of resorting to measures capable of further destruction of the sector.
NANS which advocated a restoration of standard and quality educational system in Nigeria, appealed to Nigerians, lovers of education across the world, religious leaders and other stakeholders to support the efforts.
" A country without value for education is a threat to its future", NANS said, adding that it will flag off the campaign to restore quality of education from July 28.
The NANS Treasurer was flanked by NANS Secretary, zone F, Comrade Frank Orji; Secretary Joint Campus Council, Precious Ozor; Abia State NANS Secretary, Precious Chiegeiro, among others during the briefing.
