THE NEED TO REVIVE ALMAJIRI SCHOOLS

The sight of young boys waiting for leftover meals or alms outside food stalls, motor parks, and traffic intersections is a familiar one across Nigerian cities like Kano and Kaduna. These children, growing up in circumstances beyond their control, have become an ordinary part of the urban landscape for many Nigerians, often seen but rarely truly noticed.

Their situation is not simply about poverty or begging; it reflects an education system that has strayed from its original purpose, a society grappling with deep economic realities, and a nation that risks losing another generation to neglect. The original Almajiri system, historically supported by communities and traditional institutions, was not designed for street begging. Colonial disruptions, urbanization, economic hardship, and declining public investment eroded its support structure, forcing many pupils to beg.

Recognizing this, former President Goodluck Jonathan's administration launched the Integrated Almajiri Education Programme between 2012 and 2015. Over 100 model schools were built across northern Nigeria, aiming to blend Qur'anic education with modern subjects like English, Mathematics, Science, IT, and vocational training. This initiative sought to preserve Islamic education while equipping children with contemporary knowledge and employable skills, addressing the estimated 10 million out-of-school Nigerian children, a significant portion of whom were Almajirai.

However, many of these schools fell into disuse or were underutilized after government changes. Issues like poor maintenance, inadequate staffing, and weak coordination between federal and state authorities plagued the facilities. While the subsequent administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari expressed support for integrating Almajiri education into the Universal Basic Education framework, progress remained inconsistent across states, and many schools failed to achieve their intended goals, according to a 2019 study by the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council.