#EndBadGovernance protest: Use of out-of-school children dangerous for Nigeria

…It’s a ticking time bomb waiting to explode – Child advocate

…Calls to mind child-voting in North

The #EndBadGovernance protests have brought attention to Nigeria’s pressing issues over the past week, with a disturbing trend emerging over the use of out-of-school children in some parts of the country. This development has added a dangerous dimension to the movement, putting vulnerable children at risk of harm and exploitation.

The nationwide protest across Nigeria is in demand for an end to corruption, economic stagnation, insecurity, and social injustice, sparked by frustration and disillusionment with the government’s handling of the country’s economy.

The protests have brought together citizens from all walks of life to call for sweeping reforms and a better future for Nigeria, especially the growing number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, and its alarming consequences on the country’s youthful population.

Over the years, child-voting has been experienced in the Northern part of the country. They queue, wave their voters’ cards and indeed cast their votes in the full glare of security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials without restraint.

And because they have enjoyed this latitude, they have now taken it further to a more dangerous level of participating in national protests, while some observers who spoke to BusinessDay (BD) Sunday are of the opinion that the increasing number of out-of-school children may be responsible for the recent trend associated with waving of the Russian flag while the protest lasted, as they often fall prey to politicians who recruit them for their own selfish end.

“According to the constitution and international treaties on children, they should not be involved in anything called war or protest as their minds cannot fathom the inherent dangers in it. Unfortunately, Nigeria being a country that doesn’t care about the children has used the vulnerability of the innocent children to press a demand from the government,” Chukwudinma Okoji, lecturer, department of mass communication, Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara state, said.

He told BD Sunday that using children for protest is condemnable in its entirety and that state governments should do more in enforcing universal basic education for children to create a better future for the country and its youthful population. .

Badru Saleh, proprietor, The Source Schools, Lagos, told BD Sunday that every Nigerian child deserves to be compulsorily educated up to basic nine. According to him, many of the children dropped out of school for no fault of theirs owing to various reasons like economic hardship, death of parents, broken home among others.

He further said that using out-of-school children for protest portends a lot of danger to the nation and the children as well. According to him, some of the children were already vulnerable; hence engaging them for politically instigated protest will turn the children to professional political tools for politicians.

“Some of them may end up losing their lives when the protest becomes violent. Since they are already poor and not educated, they seek to exploit the protest and seek for personal benefit through looting and vandalism,” Saleh said, disclosing that out-of-school children became a big menace to the society because the same society failed to weaponise them intellectually.

However, another researcher in the area of harnessing street language for education told BD Sunday that the involvement of out-of-school children in the ongoing #EndBadGovernance protests, particularly in Northern Nigeria where their population is significant, exposes the hypocrisy of the elite and the ruling class in Nigeria.

“These groups label the children as threats to democracy, yet continue to undermine their future by failing to provide educational opportunities. Instead of ensuring access to quality education and a better life, these children are exploited for electoral manipulation and political conflict, only to be discarded as liabilities afterward.

Read also: Out-of-school children in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa close to 2m – UNICEF

“The preference for irrelevant projects over building schools reflects a systemic failure by the Nigerian government and Northern leaders, who have neglected these children, leaving them uneducated, unskilled, and vulnerable to anti-social activities. Unlike their peers in Southern Nigeria who are mostly in school, these children suffer from abuse, economic hardship, poverty, and the broader consequences of government ineptitude,” Ezekiel Olajimbiti, Nigerian linguist based in Luneburg, Germany said.

He also said that if the neglect persists, the issue of out-of-school children could escalate into a significant national security threat.

“Therefore, for any government serious about governance, recent events should serve as a crucial reminder to address the needs of all Nigerian children, particularly those in the North, to prevent an impending crisis,” he said.

Exploitation of vulnerable children

Okoji, who is a child advocate and teaches child rights reporting, told BD Sunday that the use of out-of-school children in the protests is a clear exploitation of vulnerable individuals. According to him, the children who are often from disadvantaged backgrounds are being used as pawns in a political game.

He said further that the children are exposed to physical harm, emotional trauma, and potential arrest; all while being denied their fundamental right to education. According to him, lack of protection for vulnerable children poses a huge danger to the entire country.

Okoji, whose research thesis is on child defilement both at the Masters and PhD level said that the protests have become a breeding ground for child labour, with children as young as 10 years old being seen carrying placards and participating in demonstrations. “These children are not equipped with the necessary protection or guidance, leaving them susceptible to violence, arrest, and even death.”

Impact on education, legal and moral implications

According to Saleh, the involvement of out-of-school children in the protests further exacerbates Nigeria’s education crisis. Already, over 20 million children are out of school, and this trend only worsens the situation. “By using children in protests, we are denying them the opportunity to acquire skills, knowledge, and critical thinking, ultimately perpetuating the cycle of poverty and inequality.”

Similarly, he said that the use of out-of-school children in protests raises serious legal and moral concerns for the protesters. According to him, the involvement of the children violates the ‘Child Rights Act’, which protects children from exploitation, abuse, and harm. “Moreover, it undermines the moral fabric of our society, demonstrating a blatant disregard for the well-being and safety of our most vulnerable citizens,” Saleh said.

Ticking time bomb in Nigeria

According to media specialists and other child rights activists, Nigeria is currently sitting on a ticking time bomb, with a combination of factors threatening to plunge the country into chaos. The perfect storm of economic stagnation, rampant corruption, and rising insecurity has created a volatile atmosphere, where frustration and disillusionment are simmering just below the surface.

The country’s youth, in particular, are feeling the pinch, with limited job opportunities and a lack of trust in the government’s ability to deliver on its promises. The #EndBadGovernance protests have highlighted the depth of feeling, with demands for change and reform falling on deaf ears while the notice for the protests lasted without a corresponding response from the government.

As the situation continues to deteriorate, the risk of social unrest and conflict grows. Nigeria’s stability is under threat, and the international community is watching with growing concern. It’s time for the government to act, to address the grievances of its people and find a way to defuse the ticking time bomb before it’s too late.

Read also: Nigeria must fix unemployment, poverty, out-of-school children for shared prosperity

Northern protests fuelled by hardship

Observers say the massive protests seen in Northern Nigeria was a clear indication of the prevailing economic realities in the region. Although opinions are divided, but many people say the hunger in the land had exacerbated the situation.

The economic hardship bites more in the North, and they feel the pinch and are more likely to protest. The North has the poorest states, the most negligible GDP per capita, high infant and maternal mortality rates, and high incidence of hunger.

A combination of the high prevalence of pharmaceutical opioids abuses and out-of-school children (almaJiri) in Northern Nigeria reflected in the violent dimension of the protests in that region.

Kano, Zamfara, and Kebbi are the three states with the highest prevalence of opioid abuse.

“This high rate of idle, unengaged and uneducated youths is a ticking time bomb waiting to happen. However, these socioeconomic realities and sentiments often highlight our political certainties and show our fault lines and pain points.

There is also the question of unsubstantiated ethnic and regional dimension to the north’s protests degenerating to a riot,” Simon Kolawole, public affairs commentator, said.

In recent days, there are different interpretations on the motive behind the massive solidarity and anger in Northern Nigeria against the current administration and the reforms.

Some public commentators have even suggested that the anti-government protests in Northern Nigeria was sponsored by opposition politicians opposed to the reform and policies of the Bola Tinubu administration.

But Olabode George, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) disagrees, saying that having exposed all the areas of the Northern Nigeria to education, the challenges are now coming up. He noted that the Federal Government and the state governors had failed the people in the region.

George stressed that the current economic situation and hardship were responsible for the anger in the North towards the administration.

“The youth’s recklessness and what is happening in Northern Nigeria is a reflection of the state of the youth. You know we are lucky in the South west, down to the Delta and Edo region.

“Northerners are not happy, especially the youth who are asking, what is next after graduation? Where is the job? Where is food?

“The youth went back to where they are coming from and they saw the lifestyle of the leaders and they are bound to react. The anger is what they are exhibiting now,” he said.

Although some people have brought in ethnic sentiment to the protests, what is obvious is that Nigerians are boldly voicing their resentment to the policies of this Tinubu’s administration and are demanding for change or shift, especially with the hardship in the land not seen in four decades.

But this is not the first protests seen in the region this year, over rising hardship.

The protests in the North started several months ago when the cost of living gradually became unbearable after the removal of petrol subsidy by President Tinubu last year.

In February and March protests was seen in Niger State and other communities bordering the state, over the high cost of living, especially the prices of grain and rice. The protests lasted for days until security agencies were able to curtail it.

“I don’t believe it is sponsored and even if it was, we know the challenges in that region except we are not sincere with ourselves. People just can’t eat, this level of hardship dates back to about decades.

“There is high level of poverty and desperation in the region right now. The northern part of the country has long been plagued by poverty and lack of economic opportunities, leading to a sense of frustration and hopelessness among the residents and government is not doing anything”, Shola Ogundimu, policy analyst, said.

Experts say Nigerian economic crisis has plunged millions of Northerners into poverty. The situation is dire for now in the region, and further amplified by insecurity, poor infrastructure, and low human capacity development.

According to reports, with unemployment at its peak in recent years, hundreds of young Northerners are migrating to different countries in search of better living conditions in then Middle East and North Africa. Several of the migrants are educated youth who can’t find employment after years in tertiary institutions.

Tinubu’s waning popularity in the North?

Many analysts say the intensity of the protests and growing resentment of Tinubu’s administration was a clear message of his unpopularity in the region, a region that has the highest voting population in the country.

Although Nigeria’s economic challenge did not start today, many Nigerians believe his reforms worsened it.

Many points to the removal of fuel subsidy and the free market policy of the naira, making the country currency to lose its value more than 100 percent in the last one year.

“Tinubu’s fading image in the North should be big worry for the President and his camp ahead 2027 general election.

“Yes, many are not happy with his administration’s policies, I mean you can say Buhari was bad, but things were not this bad.

“Now, you can’t even afford to buy food again, insecurity is the same, it is so sad. A lot of people in the North can’t feed because they can’t afford to buy and you say they should be smiling,” Hammed Muhammmed, public affairs commentator, said.

But a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano, Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, said organisers of the #EndBadGovernance protests were out to bring down the Tinubu’s government and do not want him.

Kwankwaso, who criticised those who instigated the nationwide protests, further described them as enemies of the country whose actions have political undertones but failed woefully.

He stated that the organisers only did what they did to show their hatred and enmity towards President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s unrelenting efforts in turning the country into a better place to live.

Musa Illiyasu Kwankwaso, a former commissioner in the government of Umar Abdullahi Ganduje, also warned Nigerian governors against mismanaging the Federal Government’s N570billion allocations to their states, saying that anyone who mismanages the funds will face the wrath of God.

He stated that “the organisers only did what they did to show their hatred and enmity towards President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima’s unrelenting efforts in turning the country into a better place to live.

“They did that to whip up sentiments aimed at denting the image of President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima and to imply that they were responsible for the hunger and starvation the country is experiencing, while in reality, they inherited a bad government but are doing their best to salvage the situation.

“But they have failed, because their negative antics against the duo, rather than denting their image, have made them gain more popularity.”