Unchecked Procreation And The Menace Of Out Of School Children -By Emmanuel Omeiza Momoh

It is worrisome that Nigeria as a country accounts for a large share of out of school children. This has overtime labeled the country as one with high level of illiteracy. In a report issued by the World Bank in 2018, several projects that were implemented in the area education focused on out of school children especially adolescent girls. In the same vein, a recent report gave the statistics of out of school children as Sixteen Million (16, 000).

Though, there are several factors that account for this, this article however, focuses on one factor that has not been brought to the limelight; Procreation.

The culture we have been forced to accept is “the more you rear/bear, the more you earn”. Meaning that a man’s wealth is hitherto determined by the number of (“uncatered”) children he is able to give birth to. Polygamous marriage has now been on the increase that many see it as something glorifying and worthy of emulating. The rate of wanton sexual activities especially outside marriage resulting into unplanned offsprings is beginning to see the light of the day and unless it is not under check, it’s tentacles might soon spread to the younger generation.

Even though fees relating to education in most states has been reduced drastically to cater for the poor, notwithstanding, many out of school children are still found on many streets in Nigerian states poorly catered for and with no plan for daily survival. The resultant effect of this is the fact that children are left uncared, unchecked and uncatered for. The society of course serves as the goal post that receives the negative effects of these action.

Although marriage is a sacred institution and it is the right of couples either before marriage or during marriage to decide the number of children they are capable of raising. I, still believe the government has a role in educating people on the need for adequate family planning or child spacing. This will in the long run curb the excesses of the monster called unchecked procreation which has eaten deep into the nation’s socio-cultural fabric.

I do hope the current administration will in the coming decade find a way to tackle this menace and nip it in the bud. Unless, I will assume we as a countrty is sitting on a keg of gun powder cum time bomb and if care is not taken, the effects might be disastrous and deadly.

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