Just a few metres from Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY) in Abeokuta lies Agbadu Village, an Ijemo Agbadu settlement that tells a story of neglect.
Despite being a host community to one of Nigeria’s foremost polytechnics, Agbadu lacks a single primary or secondary school, leaving its children unschooled and vulnerable to the cycle of poverty.
Parents in the community say their wards are denied the most basic opportunity for growth. “Our children are growing without light, without water, without education. If government sees us as human, why do they leave us this way?” asked Abiola Owolabi, a father of five.
Children Without Classrooms
Agbadu’s education crisis reflects Nigeria’s wider challenge. UNICEF estimates that 10.5 million Nigerian children are out of school, and Agbadu’s children contribute to this figure. With no classroom in sight, most are pushed into farm work long before they can read or write.
Community leaders say repeated appeals for a primary school have gone unanswered by both state and local authorities. Parents resort to keeping children at home or sending them on risky, long treks to distant schools in Abeokuta.
Beyond Education: A Community Without Basics
Education is not Agbadu’s only deficit. There is no borehole, clinic, electricity, or motorable road. Residents drink from a stagnant stream where typhoid and diarrhoea are common. Expectant mothers face long motorcycle rides to urban hospitals. The nights are in total darkness.
Yet, it is the absence of schooling that residents describe as most devastating. “The government is pushing us backward. Without schools, these children cannot compete with their peers outside the village,” lamented Chief Michael Bamgbose, the village head.
MAPOLY’s Position
MAPOLY, whose expansion plans threaten parts of Agbadu’s farmland, says it has at various times extended support to the community. The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr. Yemi Ajibola, told the media that the polytechnic once provided borehole water and road access but withdrew support when residents allegedly encroached on MAPOLY land and sold plots to outsiders.
“These actions made it difficult to continue extending support without protecting the polytechnic’s assets,” Ajibola said.
Calls for Government Intervention
Residents argue that MAPOLY’s disputes with the community should not erase children’s right to education.
Educationists say the government must intervene to balance institutional growth with community welfare.
Former Ogun State education inspector, Mrs. Olufunke Olaniran, noted that leaving children unschooled in the shadow of a major tertiary institution is “a contradiction that undermines national development goals.”
Despite appeals to the Ogun State Government, the Obafemi-Owode Local Government, and even the palace of the Alake of Egbaland, no concrete step has been taken to establish schools or provide relief to the village.
Waiting for Recognition
For now, Agbadu’s children remain out of school, their futures uncertain. “We are not squatters. We are custodians,” said Chief Bamgbose. “If this land goes, our history and our name will vanish with it.”
STORY CULLED FROM PLATFORM TIMES . http://www.platformtimes.com
