No fewer than 450,000 children who have dropped out of school roam the streets of Gombe, Acting Chairman of Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Mrs. Zulaihatu Madugu, said on Thursday.
Fielding questions from newsmen on the sidelines of a two-day workshop organized for 100 under-graduates by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and SUBEB, Madugu said the figure was the outcome of a recent survey conducted by her board.
Madugu decried the high number of children roaming the streets in Nigeria, saying the situation was worrisome.
According to her, if the trend continues without being tackled, one day the country will end up with a vast number of unenlightened and unproductive citizens.
The Acting Chairman attributed the inability of most students to complete their education, to early marriage and poverty, among other reasons.
