Former Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola has called for immediate action by both government and society to tackle what he described as the growing neglect of the boy child in Nigeria, warning that the nation’s future could be endangered if millions of young boys remain abandoned and out of school.
Aregbesola made the call on Friday in Abuja while speaking as Special Guest of Honour at the maiden edition of the AfriCultural Fashion Show and Awards organised by Global Awareness for Development Initiatives.
Addressing participants on the theme of empowering the African boy child, the former minister noted that although advocacy for the girl child is vital, the struggles faced by boys who carry heavy social expectations without adequate support should also receive attention.
According to him, society frequently expects boys to mature into responsible and resilient men while failing to provide the emotional and economic support required for proper development.
“The boy child floats and sinks in a society that has largely failed him but expects him to be a good citizen, a patriot and a nationalist,” Aregbesola said.
He decried a situation where many boys, especially from disadvantaged families, are compelled to take on responsibilities far beyond their age, often sacrificing their education in order to contribute to household survival.
The former governor of Osun State also raised concerns over the rising number of out-of-school children across the country, describing it as a major risk to Nigeria’s long-term stability.
Aregbesola observed that in many urban centres, including Abuja, young boys are commonly seen hawking goods, begging for alms, or cleaning car windshields in traffic to make a living.
“The more tragic part for all of us is that here in Nigeria, there are about twenty million of those kids out of school roaming our villages, towns and cities,” he said.
He cautioned that any society with a large population of neglected and uneducated youths risks producing adults who may resort to crime, drug abuse or irregular migration in search of better opportunities.
To address the situation, Aregbesola urged citizens to demand accountability from government authorities in ensuring free and quality education for all children, stressing that education remains a critical social investment.
He advocated free education from the foundational level to pre-degree stages, while also calling for affordable university education that the average Nigerian can access.
Reflecting on his time as governor of Osun State, Aregbesola recalled several initiatives introduced by his administration to expand educational opportunities and empower young people.
The programmes included free schooling, the provision of meals for about 150,000 elementary school pupils, distribution of school uniforms, and the construction of large modern school facilities capable of accommodating thousands of students.
He also highlighted youth empowerment initiatives such as the Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (O-YES), which created employment opportunities for unemployed youths.
Aregbesola further pointed to character-building initiatives in schools, including clubs aimed at instilling discipline, courage and integrity among students.
In his concluding remarks, he warned Nigeria’s political and economic elite that the consequences of social neglect would eventually affect everyone.
“If the boy child in Nigeria has no future worthy to live in, no other citizen can hope for a better future,” he said.
He therefore called on Nigerians to work together to build a society grounded in social justice and humanism, emphasising that securing the future of both boys and girls is essential for national development.
