In a recent development, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, along with Hauwa Mustapha, has taken legal action against key figures in Nigeria’s education system. The lawsuit targets the Attorney General of the Federation, the Minister of Education, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), the Attorneys General of the 36 states, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The crux of the matter revolves around ensuring the education of Nigerian children of school age. The applicants, representing themselves and the Alliance on Surviving Covid-19 and Beyond, are urging the Federal High Court in Lagos to issue an order compelling the 4th-40th respondents to pay the counterpart fund needed to access a matching grant of N68 billion in the Universal Basic Education Fund.

The court is also being petitioned to declare the legal obligation, as per the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act, for the respondents to provide free, compulsory, and universal basic education for every Nigerian child of primary and junior secondary school age.

Additionally, the applicants seek declarations affirming the mandatory contributions from the Federal Government and each state, as outlined in sections 11(1) and 11(2) of the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act. The refusal or failure of the respondents to access the allocated N68 billion for universal basic education is challenged as illegal, violating the provisions of the Act.

The affidavit, sworn to by Femi Falana on January 26, 2024, references a report by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), revealing an alarming estimate of 20.2 million out-of-school children in Nigeria. With one in three children in the country out of school, Nigeria currently holds the unfortunate record for the highest number of out-of-school children globally.

This legal action underscores the importance of addressing the education crisis in Nigeria and holding responsible parties accountable for the well-being and future of the nation’s children.