Concerned parents in the Agege area of Lagos State have raised fresh alarm over the growing number of out-of-school children within the community, calling on the government to urgently establish more technical and vocational schools to engage youths unable to continue conventional academic education.
The appeal was made during the Annual General Meeting of the Agege Parents Forum held at the Agege Stadium, where stakeholders expressed concern over the increasing number of young people roaming the streets after completing secondary school education without access to further academic or vocational opportunities.
The development comes amid growing national concerns over Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis. According to estimates by United Nations Children’s Fund, Nigeria currently has about 18.3 million out-of-school children, including over 10 million at the primary level and more than eight million at the junior secondary level.
Speaking during the meeting, the Zonal Secretary of the forum, Oluwatoyin Ike, lamented that many youths in Agege and surrounding communities are left without direction after sitting for the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination due to financial difficulties, limited admission opportunities, and inadequate access to technical education.
According to her, the situation has contributed to increasing youth idleness and social challenges within the community. She stressed that many students who struggle academically are often abandoned without alternative pathways for skill development or economic empowerment.
“The pressing need now is for the government to help children who are still roaming about under the bridge. They are leaders of tomorrow,” she said while urging authorities to intensify interventions aimed at reducing the number of vulnerable youths on the streets.
Ike specifically appealed to the Lagos State Government and lawmakers representing the area to establish technical schools within Agege and neighbouring communities. She explained that existing technical schools located in areas such as Ikotun and Ogba remain inaccessible to many families because of transportation costs and economic hardship.
She argued that technical and vocational education would provide struggling students with practical skills capable of improving their employability and reducing dependency. According to her, children who may not excel in traditional classroom learning should still have opportunities to become productive members of society through vocational training.
The parents’ leader cited personal examples of individuals who benefitted from technical education, noting that vocational skills could significantly reduce unemployment and criminal tendencies among young people if properly supported by government policies and infrastructure.
Beyond concerns about out-of-school children, parents at the meeting also decried inadequate infrastructure in public schools, particularly shortages of classroom furniture, learning facilities, and basic educational resources. They argued that parents alone should not continue to bear the burden of providing essential facilities for schools.
“Some parents complain about the lack of seats in schools. It is challenging to rely on parents to provide those amenities. Government should assist schools with infrastructure,” Ike stated.
Despite the challenges, the forum commended the member representing Agege II State Constituency, Jubreel Abdulkareem, for supporting several education-focused initiatives within the community. According to the forum, the lawmaker has sponsored free Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board registration forms for students over the last four years.
Ike disclosed that the intervention began with support for about 100 students in its first year, with many beneficiaries subsequently gaining admission into tertiary institutions. She added that the programme has expanded significantly over time, benefiting more than 1,700 students through free JAMB registrations and reaching nearly 6,000 students through various educational support initiatives.
The forum further revealed that vocational training programmes in solar installation and CCTV technology were recently organised for about 350 youths and students within the area. According to the organisers, many beneficiaries have since acquired employable skills and become economically engaged.
Parents at the gathering also called for transparency and fairness in the distribution of scholarships and educational support programmes, insisting that interventions should be accessible to all qualified children regardless of background or affiliation.
Another parent at the meeting, Aminat Quadri, noted that educational support programmes had helped reduce financial pressure on many families struggling with rising living costs and school expenses.
Observers say the concerns raised by parents in Agege reflect wider national anxieties over youth unemployment, declining access to education, and the urgent need for practical skill acquisition opportunities capable of addressing Nigeria’s growing social and economic challenges.
Education advocates have repeatedly argued that expanding technical and vocational education could help bridge the gap between schooling and employment while reducing the number of young people vulnerable to poverty, crime, and social exclusion across urban communities.
