The Nigerian government has announced plans to reclaim control of 157 Almajiri schools established during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration. These schools, built to provide education to Almajiri children, were handed over to governors of 19 Northern states but have since been abandoned.
According to Idris Sani, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Commission, the commission is working to rehabilitate the schools and restore their intended purpose. Sani directed his Chief of Staff to finalize arrangements for the takeover of the schools, which were abandoned by successive administrations.
The commission has also applied to the Federal Government for assistance in rehabilitating the schools to facilitate normal academic activities. This move aims to address the challenges of Almajiri and out-of-school children in Nigeria.
To achieve this goal, the commission is partnering with the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies to deploy staff to the rehabilitated schools. The National Coordinator of CSACEFA, Odinaka Chimbama, emphasized the importance of collective efforts in addressing the Almajiri and out-of-school children crisis.
Chimbama expressed concern over poor funding in the education sector, urging the federal and state governments to increase the education budget to meet UNESCO’s recommended benchmark of 15-20%. She stressed the need for transparency and accountability in the disbursement and use of education funds.
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