Existential realities have finally dawned on northern governors with the decision to ban the almajiri system in their respective states. At a recent meeting, the 19 Northern state governors unanimously resolved to send the almajiris to their parents or states of origin as COVID-19 bares its murderous fangs across the federation. More instructive is their avowal not to allow the long discredited tradition to continue because of its domino effects of perpetuating poverty, illiteracy, insecurity and social disorder.
The move, a welcome development, is long overdue. As Atiku Bagudu, the Governor of Kebbi State, observed, “This is for the common good of the states and Nigeria in general.”
Almajiris are less privileged children in many states in the North, unleashed on the streets by their parents and guardians, clad in rags with begging bowls. These are purported pupils of Koranic schools, minors released by their families. In some cases, some criss-cross transnational borders, underscored by the almajiris deported to Niger Republic. Only irresponsible parenting exposes children to such a vagrant and dangerous way of life. This abuse ruins these lives forever.
The environment under which they live is best illustrated by the Kano State Commissioner for Education, Muhammad Sanusi-Kiru: “Where these children were living before the evacuation was worrisome, because there were no adequate conveniences, shelter and other hygienic facilities. At some of the Tsangaya schools, you will find that over 3,000 almajiri children live in a small apartment without proper care, hygiene and other necessary needs.”
While the governors’ decision ticks all the right boxes, optimism, however should be cautious as efforts in the past, at both state and federal levels to obliterate the system, failed woefully. In 2012 for instance, Kano State under Musa Kwankwaso’s government constituted a committee whose report was considered as a magic bullet. While receiving the report, the then governor promised to share the strategies with other governors “so that together we can kick-start and solve the prevailing almajiri menace. We are ready in Kano to tackle the almajiri menace headlong.”
If the plan had been faithfully implemented, the North would not be bogged by the same plague in 2020. The Universal Basic Education Act 2004 birthed to address anomalies such as this, with its provision of a compulsory and free basic education for six years and minimum three years of junior secondary schooling. Again, the Child Rights Act, another policy instrument, stipulates that a Nigerian child shall be in school up to the secondary level.
Under the UBE scheme, funds are made available to states by the Federal Government to improve their basic education, so long as they provide counterpart funding and observe all accountability provisos. But many of the Northern governors since 1999, whose states are the worst educationally, loot the UBE funds when they access them. Others have not bothered to satisfy the requirements to leverage this critical support. It is for this reason that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), said that where the menace persists it “means the state governments are not doing their job.” He maintained that tackling it is strictly the responsibility of states. Unfortunately, under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, the Federal Government spent N15 billion in building 165 almajiri schools. Sooner than later, they became desolate as the pupils returned to their familiar routine of street-begging.
Consequently, Nigeria has the unenviable distinction of harbouring 13.5 million out-of-school children, the highest globally. When the figure was 10.5 million, UNICEF said the North accounted for 69 per cent of this burden. The country’s out-of-school rating confirms that the system is a drag on its literacy growth.
An effective solution to this problem requires more than banning and integrating the children into the formal school system. A root-and-branch approach is crucial. The conundrum of indiscriminate procreation and marrying of many wives beyond one’s financial capacity should be tackled. Without doing so, all the actions taken so far will come to naught.
The predilection for pandering to religion by the state; or the inability to separate the state from it, ensured the anomie endured thus far. While this mess thrives here, it is pleasantly surprising that Islamic nations take their children’s education seriously. Qatar had 97.26 per cent of literacy rate for its citizens aged between 15 and 26 years as of 2016, while Saudi Arabia has an ambitious programme to achieve 100 per cent literacy by 2024.
The Northern states should initiate community reinsertion programme for the almajaris. A World Bank report says street children are an alarm signalling the dire need for social development and poverty reduction policies to improve the situation in the community at large, and to prevent more young people from becoming marginalised. While preventive interventions are essential, those children already facing the hardships of street life need immediate opportunities for human development via special protection programme.
Undoubtedly, some of the almajiris sent to their states of origin are orphans. Therefore, it is necessary for governors to liaise with orphanages that operate under the law for them to be taken care of by the state. The affected children should not be subjected to further human degradation or viewed as unwarranted social burden. They are victims of a broken society and decades of failure of governance, who should be helped to find their destinies. To achieve this, absolute enforcement of relevant laws and policy measures put in place is imperative.
