Depressing photos of Nigeria’s school drop-out children who have become pure water and metal scraps sellers
Many Nigeria’s school drop-out children engage in petty trading such as selling sachet water on the highway, selling metal scraps, etc. to survive and even support their family.
According to the United Nations (UN), half of the world’s 22 million out-of-school children are from Nigeria.
In July 2017, Adamu Hussaini, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, acknowledged that the population of school drop-out children in Nigeria was an estimated 10.5 million.
An investigation published by icirnigeria revealed that the figure stated by Hussaini could be an under-estimation of the crisis, given that more children and parents are embracing informal education due to poverty and unemployment, and given Nigeria’s poor record-keeping reputation.
Some of the school drop-out children engage in petty trading such as selling sachet water on the high way, selling metal scraps, etc. to survive and even support their family.
In a project sponsored by Wole Soyinka Foundation, Ademola Akinlabi, a photojournalist, under Gbile Osadipe’s mentorship, told the story of Nigeria’s school drop-out children who now engage in all sorts of menial jobs in photos:
Due to broken homes, many of these boys dropped out of school and left home to live on the streets. They survive by scavenging through rubbish dumps in search of scraps to sell. Photo: icirnigeria
After completing her primary education, Promise is waiting for her mother to determine the next step. For now she helps her mother fry fish for sale. Photo credit: icirnigeria
These boys could not continue their education due to lack of funds. To survive, they sell snacks and sachet water along Sango-Abeokuta Expressway. Photo credit: icirnigeria
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Segun Adigun is eight years old, he never attended school but he is a mechanic apprentice at Jankara, Lagos. Photo credit: icirnigeria
Meanwhile, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said that over 60% of Nigerian children under the age of five are at risk of early childhood development potentials.
The agency said Nigeria is among the top countries contributing to the 250 million children under the age of five who are at the risk of not reaching their potential in life.
Speaking at a two-day media dialogue on Early Childhood Development in Kano on Tuesday, November 7, a UNICEF education specialist, Swadchet Sankey, said these 250 million children are at the risk of not attaining their potential due to stress, lack of stimulation and poor nutrition.
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Source: Naija.ng