Dare Babalola
Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has cautioned Nigeria’s political leadership against issuing what she described as “empty and hypocritical” Children’s Day greetings.
In a Wednesday statement marking Children’s Day, Ezekwesili insisted that officials should not “dare” to wish Nigerian children a happy celebration while the country continues to grapple with widespread insecurity and social neglect.
She argued that it would be inappropriate for the President, Vice President, governors, federal lawmakers, and other political office holders to publicly celebrate Nigerian children without first addressing the worsening conditions affecting their safety, education, and welfare.
She said the political class had “no moral standing” to offer celebratory messages at a time when schools remain vulnerable to attacks, and when many children are either out of school or learning in unsafe and under-resourced environments.
According to her, repeated incidents of school abductions across different parts of the country have left deep scars on families and communities, while hundreds of children remain unaccounted for years after some of the attacks.
She referenced past mass kidnappings in states such as Borno, Kaduna, Niger, Kebbi, and Oyo, saying the pattern reflects a continuing failure to secure learning environments.
Ezekwesili also raised concerns over what she described as a deepening education crisis, noting that millions of Nigerian children are out of school due to insecurity, poverty, and systemic neglect, while many enrolled pupils still struggle with basic literacy.
She further pointed to rising levels of child hunger, poor access to healthcare, and the vulnerability of children in informal settlements and rural communities, describing these as consequences of governance failures that have persisted over time.
The former minister maintained that any attempt by political leaders to send goodwill messages on Children’s Day without acknowledging these realities would amount to “a mockery” of affected families and a betrayal of public trust.
Instead of celebratory statements, she urged government officials to provide accountability on rescued and missing children, school safety measures, and measurable progress in addressing out-of-school numbers and child welfare indicators.
Ezekwesili insisted that until concrete action is taken to improve the conditions of Nigerian children, leaders should refrain from what she described as symbolic gestures that do not reflect reality on the ground.
