Last week, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano painted a distressing picture of the state’s primary education system. “Above 4.7 million pupils are sitting on bare floors to take lessons while about 400 schools have only one teacher for all classes, subjects, and pupils,” Yusuf lamented. He also highlighted that the number of out-of-school children in Kano has reached a staggering 989,234. Blaming his predecessor, Abdullahi Ganduje, Yusuf accused the previous administration of neglect and mismanagement. “Rather than building more classrooms and providing basic furniture, the administration we took over from chose to butcher the land belonging to those schools. In some places, it demolished classrooms to create space for shops.” Schools that couldn’t be sold were closed, exacerbating the education crisis.

The encroachment on public-school lands and their conversion into private business premises is a direct assault on the commitment to public education and communal values. This reckless appropriation of educational spaces must be halted immediately.

The rising number of out-of-school children has transformed into a serious national security challenge. The lack of concerted efforts to address this issue, beyond presenting statistics, is alarming. According to UNESCO, a significant portion of the world’s out-of-school children come from Nigeria, highlighting a broader national crisis. The problem, more pronounced in the north, is exacerbated by projections that Nigeria’s population could rise to 440 million by 2050. Such uncontrolled population growth of largely illiterate individuals poses a severe threat to national stability and development.

The lack of focus on primary education management in Nigeria is troubling. The obsession with university education, while neglecting foundational primary education, is a significant error. A recent report by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) revealed that 27 states failed to access N54.9 billion in basic education funds by March this year. This fund is an annual grant to help states upgrade primary schools. However, states must match the federal government’s grant to access the money. Many states ignore this facility to evade accountability, leaving children to study under deplorable conditions, including lessons under trees and in dilapidated classrooms.

The growing population of out-of-school children also reflects the larger issue of irresponsible procreation. Population control is rarely discussed in Nigeria, often cloaked in religious or cultural taboos. The absence of infrastructural support, such as schools and healthcare facilities, exacerbates the problem. As Dimos Sakellaridis, a population control advocate, noted, “The resources available are unable to meet the basic needs of the growing population.”

Nigeria’s share in the global GDP, adjusted for purchasing power parity, was approximately 0.81 percent in 2020. Yet, projections indicate that Nigeria will account for about six percent of children born globally, who will then compete for less than one percent of global resources.

There is evidence suggesting that most educated and relatively comfortable individuals in Nigeria have fewer children, reflecting a responsible approach to family planning. However, many at the lower rungs of society continue to have large families without considering the implications. The belief systems that shun family planning have resulted in a huge but largely unproductive population. An enforceable population policy tied to incentives, as implemented in other countries, is crucial for sustainable development.

Garrett Hardin’s controversial 1974 book, “Lifeboat Ethics: The Case Against Helping the Poor,” has become a handbook for policymakers in many Western countries, reflecting on the harsh realities of population growth. Hardin argued that unbridled population explosion in poor countries leads to a larger ratio of poor to rich, ultimately creating unsustainable conditions.

For decades, the myth that the government is responsible for taking care of the populace, with corruption being the only issue, has been perpetuated. However, the message must shift to individual responsibility for family and societal well-being. Voices like that of Alhaji Attahiru Muhammad Ahmad, the Emir of Anka, who warned against marrying multiple wives on low incomes, are crucial for this conversation.

Immediate action is needed to address the education crisis in Kano and other states. Resources must be mobilized to take children off the streets and into schools. In the long term, Nigerians must understand that only a moderate population growth ensuring a high quality of life can guarantee a sustainable society.