Poverty makes it difficult for parents to feed and educate children —Oluwatobiloba-Ojelabi

Ms. Olufunke Oluwatobiloba-Ojelabi (popularly known as Olufunke Folorunsho) is passionate about adding value to lives. In this interview with IFEAYO OGUNYEMI, the Executive Director of Hopespring To Africa, talks about eradicating poverty and providing quality education to the underprivileged in Africa, among other issues. Excerpts:

There is an inherent phenomenon of poverty in Nigeria. How do you think this affects young people in the country?

Nigeria has the largest population in Africa. With more than 200 million inhabitants, it is one of the most populous countries in the world and more than 133 million people live in multidimensional poverty. There is no doubt that lack of education has been one of the major causes of poverty in Nigeria as it is perpetuated generation after generation and leads to lower standards in all sectors including politics, government. economy and business life. It also results in a high level of illiteracy, which is attributed to the fact that many children do not have access to quality education. This is one of the reasons why there are so many young people in Nigeria who cannot read or write. Politicians found some of them available for acts of violence, vandalism, political uproar and other anti-social activities due to poverty. The effect of poverty on young people in Nigeria currently cannot be overemphasized and this has led to many of the problems facing the country today.

Much has been done by governments, businesses and individuals to stem the tide of poverty in the country, but there seem to be no tangible results or improvements. Why do you think that is?

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In 2000, the former President of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, introduced the Poverty Alleviation Program (PAP), but later discontinued it and replaced it with the National Poverty Eradication Program (NAPEP) in 2001. We also have many government programs. , corporations and individuals, and even us at Hopespring to Africa; we try to make our own contribution to the eradication of poverty. However, not all of these programs seem to have an achievable high ratio effect due to the complexity of our country and we haven't really addressed the root of the problem itself. The high level of adult illiteracy cannot be entirely blamed on lack of resources; it is also the result of cultural practices that discourage educational opportunities for women and girls, even if they want them enough. For example, when girls marry young (usually before 18), their husbands may force them to do domestic work instead of allowing them to continue their education, even if that means losing their dowry! When parents send young women to marry early instead of educating themselves and providing support during marriage negotiations/settlement periods (which last several years), they not only eliminate any potential future income stream , but also create a burden on society itself through increased health costs due to illnesses caused by lack of education.

From my personal experience so far, there is a need for more educational opportunities for children in Nigeria. Education is a fundamental right, which should be guaranteed to every child in Nigeria. This is the most important factor that can determine their future and success in life. There are other factors such as poor knowledge of investment strategies, unemployment, corruption, violence, laziness, underutilization of resources, inequalities, lack of economic diversification. But I believe our government needs to focus more on education starting at the local level.

In your opinion, what would you describe as the holistic way to tackle the rising rate of out-of-school children in Nigeria?

Honestly, the rate of out-of-school children in Nigeria is alarming because my NGO works with the grassroots. I can say categorically that I know this region so well and you might be surprised to know that one of the major causes for children not attending school in Nigeria is poverty.

Poverty makes it difficult for parents to send their children to school or even bring them food if they go to class. According to statistics, India, Nigeria and Pakistan have the highest rates of out-of-school children in the world. If children do not receive an education, their future is bleak. My NGO gives scholarships to those most in need, and when talking one-on-one with our beneficiaries, it's always about money. I am convinced that if the government makes primary and secondary education free, it will...