The Federal Government of Nigeria has been urged to return music education to schools in the country to ‘Catch them young.’

While making the call, Wing Commander Ayodeji Ayanbode, the Director of Music, Nigerian Air Force, stated that the government at various levels needs to be more proactive in the area of music education during the recently concluded Abuja National Music Competition in the nation’s capital.

The air force chief, who was a member of the panel of judges at the 5th edition of the Abuja National Music Competition, made a case for government involvement in music education, along with intervention from the private sector and individuals, respectively.

“The government needs to do more to promote music in our schools; it should not be left for individuals and the private sector alone. Our being here today is a testament that we value music.

“I commend the organisers of this music competition because they have put in their time, resources, and energy to bring out the best in these children. We need more of this kind of competition so that the raw talents of school children in music could be discovered,” he said.

The organiser of the event, Nana Gbolahan, emphasised the need for the music competition and why it was established and brought to Abuja over five years ago.

Gbolahan emphasised that music is no longer in the curriculum of most schools in the country, a development which discourages students who intend to go into music.

“The competition is to keep music alive in our schools because it plays a key role in our lives. The National Music Competition was established to bring music back to Abuja.

“We noticed that a lot of schools no longer have music in their curriculum, and this often discourages those who intend to go into music. We wanted to ensure that we keep music alive in our schools, especially with the fact that music plays a key role in enhancing the intelligence of students.

“Music plays a big role in calming nerves, and it’s a unifying factor regardless of tribe or tongue, and we just feel this is a fantastic way to unify us as Nigerians and encourage those who are into music. Music is important in our schools, and we call on the government to bring music back to our schools.

“Government is aware because last year when we did the 4th edition, we had people from the Ministry of Education who came, and in this year’s edition, we wrote to them, unfortunately, they were unable to come. I think they have another event somewhere else,” Gbolahan said.

The 2025 edition, tagged ‘Take the Stage’, focuses on healthy competition and inspired creativity.