Legal luminary and human right activist, Femi Falana, has instituted a legal action against federal and state governments and other key stakeholders in the education sector over Nigeria’s alarming number of out-of-school children in the country.
The respondents are the attorney General of the Federation, the Nigerian Education Minister, the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, the attorneys general of the 36 states of the federation, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
Falana’s prayers are contained in an affidavit filed before the federal high court in Lagos.
Falana cited a recent report published by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, which stated that at least 20.2 million children are out of school in Nigeria, which is the highest number in the world
The applicants demanded an order directing the 4th-40th respondents to pay the counterpart funds to access the matching grant of N68 billion in the Account of the Universal Basic Education Fund and report compliance to the court order within 30 days of the delivery of the judgement.
Falana further wanted the court to give an order directing the respondents to always pay the counterpart fund to access the matching grant in the account of the Universal Basic Education Fund as and when due, forthwith.
The lawyers are also asking the court to declare that by the provisions of Section 2(1) of the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, the respondents are legally obligated to provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every Nigerian child of primary and junior secondary school age.
