2 weeks Ago By PAUL OKAH
From available records, the Almajiri system has been in existence for over 800 years, particularly in northern Nigeria, where it was sustained by conscious spiritual, moral and social ideals. Tsangaya is a form of Islamic education and the Hausa word Tsangaya literally means “learning centre.” The person who attends Tsangaya is called Almajiri, a Hausa word which is derived from the Arabic word , meaning an emigrant Almajiri.
It refers to persons who migrate for learning or for propagating Islamic knowledge and was practiced by families who used to send their children to urban centers to acquire Qur’anic education under the supervision of religious scholars referred to as . Today, the phenomenon is characterised by chronic poverty, social exclusion and abuse. The Almajiri system now graduates young adults with no formal education or skills required for employment and, hence, they become easy tools in the hands of terrorists for indoctrination to perpetuate insecurity.
Nigeria has a very high number of out-of-school children ranging from six to 14. The United Nations development agencies, the Nigerian government and other international organisations, including some countries, have made efforts to tackle the menace, though the number has often increased. The situation is worse in the northern part of the country, with severe consequences on the nation’s economy and the security.
According to recent data obtained from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) by our reporter, Nigeria has 13.2 million out-of-school children. Out of the figure, 69 per cent are from Northern Nigeria and 60 per cent are girls.
Alarmingly, according to UNICEF, the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria has increased from 10.5 million in 2010 to 13.2 million in 2015.
However, in 2010, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) estimated 9.5 million Almajiri across the country, with the highest concentration in the Northern part of the country. From the data by UNICEF, a recent survey in the Northwest revealed that Sokoto has a total of 249,523 Almajiri and out-of-school adolescent girls, including 13,208 boys and 136,315 girls.
On the other hand, Katsina has a total of 148,252 Almajiri and out-of-school adolescent girls, consisting of 86,757 boys and 61,495 girls. In Jigawa, the verification by UNICEF revealed a total of 110,580 Almajiri and out-of-school adolescent girls, comprising 56,159 boys and 54,421 girls. However, Kano has the highest number of Almajiri and out of school adolescent girls in the North-west, which UNICEF put at 305,006, comprising 187,006 boys and 118,000 girls.
Contrastively, Kaduna has a total of 209,950 Almajiri and out-of-school adolescent girls, including 105,726 boys and 104,224 girls. Existing literature focuses on two push-factors leading children to become Almajiri: moral/ideological views and socio-economic factors. The first push-factor refers to the idea that parents and caregivers of Almajiri believe Qur’anic education to be superior to formal (Western style) education, building on a historical suspicion of Western education in Northern Nigeria and a fear that it will alienate children from their religion.
With regards to the second push-factor, Tsangaya schooling is the only form of education which requires no contribution from parents, making it accessible to even the poorest households. However, with some Tsangaya supporting as many as 500 children, the care, feeding and provision of accommodation can be a significant burden for , who often do not have stable sources of income. On the other hand, according to data from the World Bank, in Northern Nigeria, early marriage is strongly associated with the level of education of the girl-child as 82 per cent of girls with no education marry before they are 18, compared to 13 per cent of girls who have completed secondary education.
According to a study of girls in Kano and Katsina, the prevalence of early marriage at 15 years of age is 20 per cent and even higher in Bauchi, Katsina, Kano, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa, Sokoto and Borno states. Girls’ education is also hindered by the gendered division of household labor, with girls often expected to contribute to providing care for younger siblings or engaging in farming activities. The Child Rights Information Bureau (CRIB) of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, in collaboration with UNICEF, recently organised a two-day field trip and media dialogue for journalists to get first-hand information and experience on the situation of the Almajiri and out-of-school adolescent girls in Sokoto state.
In the course of the field trip, our reporter discovered that, in order to curtail the menace of the Almajiri and out of school adolescent girls (OOSAGs), UNICEF, in collaboration with the Eleva Foundation, undertook the construction of a Child Friendly Space, known as a Community Based Child Protection Center, in Shuni, Dange – Shuni L.G.A and replicated same at at Kalalawa, Kware L.
G.A in Sokoto. UNICEF, with the sponsorship of the Eleva Foundation, also constructed a Digital Village in Wamakko LGA of Sokoto state, with the Sokoto State Arabic and Islamic Education Commission (SSAIEC) and the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Sokoto beneficiaries.
The intervention was done after UNICEF, with relevant CSO partners, verified and registered about 249, 523 vulnerable children, consisting 113, 208 Almajiris and 136,315 out of school adolescent girls, through a household survey and visit to Tsangayas, where many of the Almajiris reside with their . Speaking with , UNICEF’s Child Protection Specialist for Sokoto Field Office, covering Zamfara, Kebbi and Sokoto, Mr. Pius Uwamanua, said a survey by UNICEF verified and registered 249,523 Almajiris and out-of-school adolescent girls, some of whom are being taught different skills at the Child Protection Centres in the state.
The vocational programmes, according to him, include knitting, cosmetology, tailoring and shoe-making, and that UNICEF, in partnership with the Eleva Foundation, has empowered more than 60,000 almajiri children and out-of-school adolescent girls on lifelong skills in its five implementing states, including Kano, Kaduna, Jigawa, Sokoto and Katsina. He said, “The Ministry of Women Affairs, in collaboration with relevant CSO partners and with support of UNICEF, verified and registered about 249,523 vulnerable children in Sokoto, including 113,208 Almajiris and 136,315 out-of-school girls through a household survey and visit to Tsangaya, where many of the Almajiris reside with their Malams. It was more than that, but when we did validation, we had to trim it down to this number.
“Now, this Centre here is meant to provide support for these children and actually provide different kinds of services. The programme has also been able to eradicate the culture of silence with regards to early and forced marriages, while also providing psychosocial support for the girls. Children have been transformed by this project.
The programme, which commenced in 2023 in five northern states, will end in April 2025. “They also train the girls on shoemaking, knitting, cosmetology and tailoring. We have a counselling room for girls and boys that have challenges and need to speak to a counsellor.
We have officials providing counselling for some of them. We also have a room for the surveillance team.” Also speaking exclusively to our reporter, the Executive Coordinator, Centre for People’s Health, Peace and Progress (3Ps), Mrs.
Cecilia Eseme, emphasised the need for mentorship programme for the children in order to resist pressure for early marriages, saying many of the children have been taught skilled productions that can make them stand on their own. Speaking with , a counsellor with Child-Friendly Space Centre, in Dange-Shuni LGAs, Sokoto state, Mrs. Nenman Calvin, said UNICEF and Eleva Foundation have rescued over 20 adolescent girls from early marriages in Sokoto state in the last two months, through the Almajiri and Out-of-School Adolescent Girls Project initiative in some of the state.
“UNICEF and Eleva Foundation have succeeded in rescuing these girls through the Almajiri and Out-of-School Adolescent Girls Project initiative in some LGAs of the state. The initiative is aimed at providing education to vulnerable children and tackling the issue of child marriage in the region. The centre has been addressing at least five to ten cases of child marriage every month aged between 13 and 15.
Many of the girls desired to return to school to become nurses so that they could be change agents in rescuing their community,” she said. Speaking with this reporter at the Child Friendly Space in Dange-Shuni LGA, a 15-year-old girl rescued from early marriage, who could not be named, commended the initiative, pledging to be a change agent to rescue girls from early marriage through counselling. “My parents had already pressured me into early marriage, but I had to come here through the help of a friend.
The mentorship sessions I gained from this centre have helped me, and I am able to convince my mother of the implications. I thank God that my mother listened to me and was able to tell my father to stop this idea of early marriage plans for me and my sister. Now we are learning here, and I will make sure I tell other girls in my community about the dangers of early marriage,” she said.
Also speaking, 19-year-old Najaatu Shetima, said she makes N20, 000 monthly after being taught soap making by UNICEF and Eleva Foundation. “In this Centre, I was taught how to make soap for washing cars. I was trained for three months.
Since then, I’ve been self-reliant, saving up and making contributions. I make up to N20, 000 monthly. This Centre has taught me so many things like the implications of early child marriage.
Before the training, I was on my own doing nothing and couldn’t speak English. But now, I can communicate in English. I learnt it here.
I will advise other girls like me not to engage in child marriage, but get a skill to earn a living,” she said. Similarly, 17-year-old Mustapha Abubakar said he rose from being an Almajiri to become a successful entrepreneur and employer of labour, after a three-month vocational training programme by UNICEF and Eleva Foundation. Speaking through an interpreter, while making a foot wear in his shop, Abubakar said his products, priced between N1, 000 and N5, 000, generate a monthly income of at least N30, 000 for him, saying with the upcoming Sallah celebrations, he has stockpiled foot wears and handbags for sale to boost his earnings.
“I was an Almajiri, moving from house to house, but I now earn money from the skill I learned and I have trained other boys. UNICEF and Eleva Foundation gave me a second chance at life. I was able to acquire skills that have enabled me to become self-sufficient and even employ others.
I earn more than ₦11, 000 per week. I have been empowered for life. I don’t need any more education,” he said.
Also, another beneficiary, Faiza Bello, said through mentorship and hands-on training at the child-friendly space centre, she gained practical knowledge that enabled her to earn a living and escape challenges like early marriage and poverty. Also speaking with , the District Head of Gagi Area in Sokoto South LGA, Alhaji Muhammad Jabbi, commended UNICEF for supporting the Sokoto state government in addressing the issue of out-of-school children, saying the state can tackle the menace of out-of-school children with continued support. He said, “The Digital Village was designed at a time we need digital literacy.
A lot of gaps have been identified that necessitated the movement of Almajiri along the street in the urban and the rural slums. So, I must commend UNICEF and all partners supporting this move, as well as the government of Sokoto state, for making the Digital Village an enabling environment for children to have quality education. Currently, the number of out-of-school children is still high because of many causes, which include but are not limited to insurgency and banditry.
“We need to expand this center to at least the three senatorial districts. I believe the Almajiris can change their negative perception and negative attitude of seeing every intervention of western world as an ideology of western world we are promoting. This center here is very small, it cannot contain every Almajiri in my district domain alone, so there’s need to expand the coverage beyond here; so, we can address the scourge of Almajiri.
Creating one centre here will not solve the problem of Almajiri. We need more.” Speaking with this reporter, on the side-lines of an event organised by the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, in collaboration with UNICEF, the Director, Child Development and Protection, Sokoto State Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, Malam Yusuf Ibrahim, said sustaining skills centres in the state would require government’s funding and commitment.
“The skills centres required revolving funding to ensure their sustainability. The Digital village for Almajiri children and out-of-school adolescent girls is a model that I so much believe the state government can buy in. On the dearth of female teachers hampering education access and health care delivery, I suggest the recruitment of more female teachers in the education and health sectors.
“There is a need for more female teachers because it’s a challenging thing. Even if you go to the health sector, it’s another challenge. You see a lack of female health workers.
So, it has been a challenge here in the state. But I believe we are moving, gradually we will get there because if you go to our schools now, like the College of Education, you could see a good number of female teachers on duty. So I believe with time, we will get there,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education, on Friday, March 7, launched two initiatives: Luminah Girl Child Initiative and the Broader Quality Education and Learning Outcomes Programme, targeted at addressing out-of-school children and boosting girl-child education. Speaking at the launch, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, said the initiatives were bold steps in transforming the nation’s education landscape.
“We at the Ministry have launched our six key priority intervention areas within the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI) for Renewed Hope, which include: Science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medical sciences; TVET; out-of-school children; girl-child education; data & digitalisation, and education quality assurance. “Out of these key priority areas, we have inaugurated a Committee for the implementation of the Nigerian Education Data Initiative (NEDI) which represents a transformative milestone in our collective mission to reposition the Nigerian education sector as a beacon of excellence. Education is a shared responsibility, and together, all stakeholders must continue to push the boundaries of innovation, inclusion and excellence,” he said.
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