The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has said Nigerians are reaping what they sowed.
While also revealing that the rate of banditry will continue to grow across the country if the government fails to prioritise the education of Nigerian youths.
Kukah stated this on Friday while delivering a lecture at the 42nd Actualisation four-day conference of Rotary International, District 9110 in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.
He said Nigeria is facing banditry and terrorism attacks due to the government’s lack of investment in educating the young generation.
The cleric attributed the rising security challenges in Nigeria to the consequences of the young generation not having a proper education.
He said, “We are facing the challenges that are the consequences of our children not having education. Now everybody is fearing bandits, everybody is fearing Boko Haram, we are reaping today what we sowed yesterday and it will actually grow worse.
“We have millions of children, at least between 10 and 12 or 15 million children that are on the streets who are begging, each of these children are growing by the day, the Almajiri that is 10 now, in 10 years time he will be 20 years so unless we quickly do something the situation may go worse,” he said.
He charged philanthropists, religious organisations and other humanitarian organisations to channel their efforts towards combating illiteracy.
He said, “Nigeria must try to combat illiteracy because there is no substitute for education and if we who are educated believe that we are secure then we must think again.”