Amnesty International, French Embassy Host Debate on Right to Education

Kasim Sumaina in Abuja 

In partnership with the French Embassy in Nigeria, Amnesty International commemorated the 2024 World Law Day by organising a debate on the legal foundation for the right to education.

Programme Manager at Amnesty International, Barbara Magaji, noted that the French Embassy in Nigeria usually commemorates International Law Day, so it partnered with them to celebrate it.

Magaji said, “If people are not aware of their rights, they will not know how to safeguard them. The day is important because it’s an opportunity to teach young minds about their rights, particularly the right to education.”

She disclosed that rights are inherent to human beings.

“Rights are attached to us as human beings. They’re not privileges that are granted by others but rather, they are deserved and should be demanded as long as you are a human being,” she said.

Cooperation Attaché at the French Embassy, Mrs. Ketty Ris, hinted that education is a fundamental human right recognised globally.

Riss said Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child “all affirm every child’s right to education.”

Ris, while emphasising Nigeria’s critical juncture, pointed out that it was “a sad record” that over 18.5 million children are out of school, 60 per cent of them girls, signposting the “unrealised potential of millions of young people whose future depends on realising their right to education.”

“Through this debate, we aim to encourage critical thinking and advocacy skills in tomorrow’s young leaders,” she explained. “As we continue our debates, let’s not forget that education is not a privilege but a right. It is the foundation on which societies are built, essential to developing a peaceful, prosperous, and just world.” 

Also, the Director of Clinical Legal Education at the University of Abuja, Dr. Nasir Muktar, highlighted the importance of commemorating International Law Day. According to him, the right to education is embedded in the constitution and can be enforced through frameworks like the Universal Basic Education Law and the Child Rights Act.

Muktar added that Nigeria’s education system was inherited from the British.

Adeyemi Sky, a 300-level law student and debate winner, regretted that Nigeria allocates only five per cent of its budget to education instead of the UNICEF’s recommended 20 per cent.

Sky stressed the need to make education a justiciable right in Nigeria.

Alpha Shigusa Ayuba Dankudara, SS3 student and secondary school segment winner, expressed delight at participating in the debate.

Dankudara said, “I have learned that education is a fundamental right and essential for our development.”

The event aimed to raise awareness about human rights, particularly the right to education, and empower young people to become change agents.