Aregbesola calls for urgent action to empower African boy child

Former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has called for urgent intervention by the government and society to address what he described as the growing neglect of the boy child in Nigeria, warning that the country’s future could be threatened if millions of young boys remain abandoned and uneducated. Aregbesola made the call in Abuja on […]

Former Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, has called for urgent intervention by the government and society to address what he described as the growing neglect of the boy child in Nigeria, warning that the country’s future could be threatened if millions of young boys remain abandoned and uneducated.

Aregbesola made the call in Abuja on Friday while delivering a speech as Special Guest of Honour at the maiden edition of the AfriCultural Fashion Show and Awards organised by Global Awareness for Development Initiatives.

Speaking on the theme of empowering the African boy child, the former minister said that while advocacy for the girl child remains important, the challenges confronting boys—who often face heavy societal expectations without adequate support—should not be ignored.

According to him, society frequently expects boys to grow into responsible men while denying them the emotional and economic support required for healthy 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 lamented that many boys, particularly from low-income families, are compelled to take on responsibilities beyond their age, often abandoning education to support their households.

The former governor of Osun State pointed to Nigeria’s large population of out-of-school children, describing the trend as a serious threat to the country’s long-term stability.

Aregbesola noted that many young boys can be seen across cities such as Abuja hawking goods, begging for alms, or cleaning car windshields in traffic to survive.

“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 warned that a society with a large number of uneducated and neglected youths risks producing adults who may resort to crime, drug abuse or irregular migration in search of better opportunities.

To address the challenge, Aregbesola urged citizens to hold government accountable for providing free and quality education for all children, describing education as a critical social investment.

He advocated free education from the basic level to pre-degree stages and called for affordable university education for the average Nigerian.

Reflecting on his tenure as governor, Aregbesola said his administration implemented policies aimed at improving access to education and empowering young people in the state.

According to him, these included free schooling, the provision of meals for about 150,000 elementary school pupils, the distribution of school uniforms and the construction of 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.

In addition, Aregbesola referenced character-building programmes in schools, including clubs designed to promote discipline, courage and integrity among students.

In his concluding remarks, he warned that Nigeria’s political and economic elites cannot isolate themselves from the consequences of societal neglect.

“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 urged Nigerians to work collectively toward building a society founded on social justice and humanism, stressing that securing the future of both boys and girls is essential for national development.