The Federal Government has announced plans to retake control of the Almajiri schools built during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, which were handed over to governors of the 19 northern states but have since been abandoned by successive administrations.
This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children, Dr. Idris Sani, during a Memorandum of Understanding signing event with the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All in Yola on Wednesday.
Sani revealed that the commission was making arrangements to rehabilitate and reactivate the 157 Almajiri schools across the northern states to address the challenges of Almajiri and out-of-school children in Nigeria.
“I have directed my Chief of Staff to finalise arrangements for the takeover of these schools, which were abandoned after their establishment. We have also requested support from the Federal Government to rehabilitate them and commence normal academic activities,” Sani said.
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He emphasised that the Almajiri and out-of-school children crisis required a united approach.
To this end, the commission, he said, was collaborating with the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies to deploy teaching staff once the schools are rehabilitated.
“The challenges surrounding the Almajiri system and out-of-school children are significant. We are committed to ensuring these schools fulfil the vision for which they were established—providing education to marginalized children across the Northern region,” Sani said.
