Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has raised an urgent warning about Nigeria’s out-of-school children, describing them as a “fertile ground” for recruitment by Boko Haram terrorists. Speaking on Tuesday at the inauguration of the Bakhita ICT Centre in Sokoto, Obasanjo called the nation’s neglect of its estimated 24 million out-of-school children a “time bomb waiting to explode.”
“You don’t need an oracle to know they will become the recruiting ground for the Boko Haram of tomorrow,” he stated, urging leaders to prioritize human development, empowerment, and employment. The warning comes amid stark statistics showing that northern Nigeria, home to over 10 million out-of-school children, especially those in the Almajiri system, is also the epicenter of poverty, banditry, violent extremism, and mass school abductions.
Obasanjo cautioned, “If we fail to prepare now, the Boko Haram of today will be child’s play compared with what we may face in the future.”
The newly inaugurated Bakhita ICT Centre, equipped with 250 laptops and 50 tablets, was established by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Matthew Hassan Kukah, with support from philanthropist Aare Afe Babalola. The facility aims to equip youths with digital and vocational skills to combat unemployment and social vulnerability.
Bishop Kukah urged northern leaders and communities to reject fatalism about poverty and invest in the potential of young people. “Among the almajiri on our streets, there could be an Albert Einstein,” he said. Emphasizing interfaith unity, he added, “Christians and Muslims may quarrel, but mosquitoes don’t discriminate. We all catch malaria. That is God’s way of reminding us to work together.”
The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, also spoke at the event, cautioning against exaggerating religious divisions. “If we can sit here in Sokoto, just minutes from the Sultan’s palace, to commission a Bakhita ICT Centre with Christians and Muslims praying side by side, why does nobody talk about that?” he asked, stressing that diversity should be a source of strength.
The inauguration drew traditional rulers, clerics, politicians, and youths and featured cultural performances celebrating Nigeria’s shared heritage.
