FOMWAN raises the alarm over almajiri children in Nigeria

THE Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria (FOMWAN) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on the state of almajiri children in Nigeria.

The organisation urged the president to get governments at all levels to work with parents, traditional and religious leaders towards taking these children off the streets to reduce their vulnerability and protect their rights.

FOMWAN made the call in a communique after a five-day training and National Executive Council meeting held between 7 and 12 January, 2020 in Abuja.

The body described as worrisome the increase in number of the almajiri children on the streets, saying the emerging phenomenon of huge number of girl-child almajiri being practised in some states of the country was a violation of the rights of children to education, health, security, food and dignity.

“A system which throws out its vulnerable children on the streets to fend for themselves as early as age five is inimical to the educational and healthy development of these children,” said the communique signed by the national amirah, Hajiya Halima Jibril, and the national public relations officer, Dr Sumaye Hamza.

“FOMWAN notes with great concern that girls constitute 60 per cent of the total number of out-of-school-children in Nigeria, particularly in northern Nigeria. This is puts girls at great disadvantage of living a life of ignorance and exploitation, which incapacitates them in effectively playing their roles of taking care of the family and contributing to the socio-economic development of Nigeria,” it added.

FOMWAN said it is willing to use its reach to partner with traditional and religious leaders to bring more girls to school and to improve access to basic education for girls.

The organisation also condemned what it called the high incidence of rape, child abuse and violence against women and girls, especially minors, a situation which it said is being perpetuated by the culture of silence on the part of victims or their parents, and the slow legal and judicial process of bringing the culprits to book.

“Rape and gender-based abuse constitute a blatant and unacceptable denigration of the dignity of womanhood and motherhood. FOMWAN advocates with the judiciary to facilitate the enforcement of existing legal provisions and initiating such where there is none to address the issue of rape and other forms of violation against women and girls.

We call on victims and their guardians to break the culture of silence to accelerate the attainment of justice and punish the culprit,” it said.

The association also drew attention to what it called the unhealthy and embarrassing indulgence of Nigerians in indiscriminate open defection, saying the situation poses serious health threats to the society.

It said a 2018 survey conducted by the WASH National Outcome Routine Mapping indicated that 47 million Nigerians practise open defecation, leading to the death of at least 100,000 children under five years every year.

The organisation, therefore, called on the federal, state and local governments to provide gender-sensitive toilets in public places such as schools, motor parks and markets.