BY: NASIRU MUHAMMAD WAZIRI, KANO
Almajiri is a Hausa word That’s derived from the Arabic word, المُهَاجِرْ “al-Muhājir,” which refers to a person who migrates from his home in search of Islamic knowledge.
Colloquially, the term has expanded to refer to any young person who begs on the streets and does not attend secular school.
In 2020 UNICEF explained that it is difficult to estimate and “know the number of almajiri children in Nigeria, but some estimates put it at about 10 million, or about 81 percent of the more than 10 million out-of-school children in the country, 2023.
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As noted by Alkali (2001), Almajiri is a semi-formal education system relying solely on Quranic education, in which children, (boys only) are sent by their parents to take up residence with Islamic Mallams, for instruction in the Quranic and other Islamic texts.
Experts have recommended the creation of the Almajiri Commission in Nigeria as a remarkable achievement and advise on what needs to be done to rekindle the system.
In his submission Dr. Isah Sulaiman Hassan, a senior academic lecturer in the School of Legal and Islamic Studies Kano, department of Hadith and Jurisprudence, asserted that the Government should prioritize the almajiri system almost equal to Western knowledge, provision of the standard school of almajiri system in both primary and secondary in all 774 local government across the country.
He explains that Qualified teachers should be employed the structure has to include toilet and vocational skills training centers to engage them as entrepreneurs to stabilize the economy.
He added that the supposed criteria for
employment NCE should be a minimum qualification for teaching the Almajiri also local government should supervise the created Almajiri schools’ finances and provide welfare for the teachers, in addition at least 5 five schools should be created and allocated to each local government with the school feeding program. It will provide an alternative source of income to the collective almajiri, it will also reduce the penetration of the negative impact on the socio-economic activities of the society.
He argued that the system is another dimension of government taking its supposed responsibility popularly known as “Social responsibility” and will reduce a lot of crime, and failure to do that is tantamount to resulting in the almajiris engagement in scrupulous activities.
ALMAJIRI CENTERS
In his response, Kamal Yakubu Alkali, a journalist working with Radio Nigeria, pyramid FM Kano, said (Tsangaya) should be registered, and monitored by govt and it should be merged, at least 10 centers into one Almajiri primary school.
On the scholar’s part, they lack hand skills acquisition, they solely depend on the Almajiri system to feed.
If federal government will have to engage some of the Tsangaya teachers to train their students on various hand skills to avoid sabotage in the system.
Moreover, there’s strong confidence that Quranic students are capable of learning any knowledge easily, there is evidence of that…
Historically, the creation of “higher Islamic” is an example of a new system like Almajiri, It was started as a voluntary system with the pioneers the likes of Mal Nasiru Kabara, and Sheikh Mahmud Gumi, laying its foundation which was later absorbed by the federal government.
Most of our key informants, expressed confidence in the new leadership of Almajiri Commission, Alhaji Jafaru Musa former governor of Kaduna state, because he is an experienced hand they all believe that the commission is safe at his hand considering the level of knowledge and experience he has and how meticulous he is.
PROBLEM CREATED BY ALMAJIRI SYSTEM AND HOW TO ADDRESS THEM
Most of Almajiri’s parents lack a modern and deep understanding of Islamic knowledge. Government absence and lack of supervision and participation contribute to the escalation of public menace created by the system.
The discussion is centered around the prevailing souring crime is the product of government inefficacy and intervention, therefore the government should accord more support and strategic care to the Almajiri system, through its vibrant commission, especially with the recent competent head of the commission, Alhaji Lawal Jafaru Isah.
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Consequently, 48 hours after the announcement of his appointment here comes another adjustment by the federal government, and I quote” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has restructured the recent appointment of Almajiri commission.
He chose Brigadier-General Lawal Ja’afar Isa (retd) to serve as the Chairman of the Board of the Commission, while Dr Idris Muhammad Sani is to serve as the Executive Secretary and CEO.
Ja’afar Isa is a respected leader and previously served as the Military Administrator of Kaduna State from 1993 to 1996.
The adjustment that one knows the rationale behind it. The reshufflemrnt of the Leadership for the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education is stated below.
He chose Brigadier-General Lawal Ja’afar Isa (retd) to serve as the Chairman of the Board of the Commission, while Dr Idris Muhammad Sani is to serve as the Executive Secretary and CEO.
Ja’afar Isa is a respected leader and previously served as the Military Administrator of Kaduna State from 1993 to 1996.
Dr Muhammad Sani holds master’s and doctorate degrees in Islamic Studies. He was at various times the Director-General, of Al-Iman School Lafia; Commissioner, of Basic/Secondary Education, Yobe State; Chairman, of Nigerian Arabic Language Village, Borno State; Member, of Nasarawa State Government Committee on Enlightenment Campaign; and Secretary-General, of the Association of Private Schools in Nasarawa State.
The President said he expects that the new appointees will bring their vast experience into the management of this critical Commission, which impacts the very core of society, by ensuring that his administration’s drive to guarantee Nigeria’s out-of-school children the most comprehensive education is realized in the superseding interest of the nation’s future.
I would like to close the piece with a popular Ethiopian adage that says “Give a man advice, if he refuses let adversity teach him a lesson.
Waziri can be reached on:
nasirumuhammedwaziri@gmail.com