London Borough of Southwark Mayor Takes Stand Against Nigeria’s Education Crisis

• Mayor of London Borough of Southwark, Michael Situ, collaborates with IA-Foundation to host a diaspora event addressing Nigeria’s out-of-school crisis
• The initiative aims to engage UK-based Nigerians, politicians, philanthropists, and corporates to combat the educational challenge in Nigeria

To address Nigeria’s alarming out-of-school children crisis, Mr. Michael Situ, Mayor of the London Borough of Southwark, has expressed his commitment to hosting members of Nigeria’s diaspora community in the UK.

The initiative collaborates with the Ibironke Adeagbo (IA)-Foundation, a British charity actively involved in Nigeria. Mayor Situ will host key figures, including captains of industry, politicians, philanthropists, and delegates, to address the pressing issue of out-of-school children.

CEO of IA-Foundation, Ibironke Adeagbo, revealed in a telephone interview that the event, scheduled for early next year at the Southwark Civic Townhall near London Bridge, aims to spotlight the foundation’s work, impact, and key findings over the years. The focus is to engage the Nigerian diaspora community in the UK to impact education back home positively.

This move comes as part of IA-Foundation’s ongoing efforts to bring global attention to the educational crisis in Nigeria. The event intends to mobilize the international community, attracting support to combat the menace of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

Adeagbo emphasized the significance of involving members of the UK Parliament, UK councillors, politicians, philanthropists, and delegates from corporate organizations. The goal is to ensure that the international community plays a pivotal role in developing Nigeria’s robust and functional educational system.

Established in 2019 by Nigerian-born, England-raised Adeagbo, IA-Foundation has consistently demonstrated a passionate commitment to addressing the out-of-school crisis in Nigeria.

In 2022, UNESCO reported that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, has an estimated 20.2 million out-of-school children, the highest on the continent. Despite this alarming statistic, Adeagbo, a chartered accountant, has been tirelessly using the foundation to draw international attention to the crisis.

The foundation recently organized a summit in Lagos, bringing together prominent Nigerians and activists to discuss the out-of-school problem. Looking ahead, IA-Foundation plans to host a fundraising event in Lagos next March to further its mission of taking more children off the streets and into classrooms.

President Bola Tinubu has also assured Nigerians that his administration is committed to pulling Nigeria out of the education crisis and positioning the country on a path of glory.