The Mogaji of Omotara Okugbaja in the Ita Baale area of Ibadan, Chief Moruf Oladejo Rufai, has described the number of out-of-school children in the city as worrisome.
Rufai urged the local, state and Federal Governments to urgently provide the necessary facilities and support to address the situation.
He spoke on Tuesday while donating educational materials to primary school pupils in Ita Baale and other family compounds in Ibadan North East Local Government Area.
Rufai said the gesture was part of his contribution to the development of the communities where he hails from and an effort to support children facing difficulties in accessing education.
He lamented that many pupils and students who should be in school were unable to attend due to the rising cost of educational materials.
Explaining the reason for the donation, Rufai said he was supporting educational development in Ibadanland because education remained the bedrock of development in any society.
He called for collective efforts by government and other stakeholders to ensure that children had access to quality education.
‘The number of out-of-school children in Ibadan particularly is worrisome. We need to address the problem now before it is too late. The State government has a lot of work to do in that area, we need more schools and classrooms, the government needs to make school environment attractive to the pupils. The federal government also and local government need to do something to address the problem too.
‘As a private individual, I have just donated 500 copies of exercise books to the pupils and students in primary and secondary in Ita Baale area and other areas in Ibadan North East local government area.
‘It was shared according to classes. Some parents who requested on behalf their children were also given.
‘It is what I have been doing since I became Mogaji of my family compound. I gives pupils from my compound and other family compounds in Ibadan North East local government area educational materials every September.
‘This gesture is part of my own contribution to the educational development of Ibadanland and Nigeria in general. Government cannot do it alone. It is also to support Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Adewolu Rasidi Ladoja’s move to more Ibadanland forward in the area of education.