Dr. Muhammad Idris, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE), recently revealed that approximately 30 million Almajiri children and 20 million out-of-school children are wandering the streets of Nigeria. During the inauguration of an eight-member committee aimed at reforming Almajiri education, Idris stressed the need for urgent action to provide these children with a sense of direction and inclusion.
He highlighted how vulnerable Almajiri children are exploited and emphasized the need for modern pedagogical reforms in their education. The government intends to unify the various Tsangaya (Almajiri schools) associations and streamline them under one umbrella for better collaboration with the NCAOOSCE. Idris further stated that the commission is in talks with state governments to manage Almajiri schools built under the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration, aiming to integrate 60% of these children into the education system before the current administration ends.
