Gombe to establish 11 model schools, partners for certification of Almajirai

In its resolve to ensure that the Almajirai system was eradicated as well as promote the learning and recitation of the Holy Qur’an, Gombe State Government has expressed its readiness to establish model Tsangaya schools that will accommodate 11,000 Almajirai who will undergo teaching in Qur’an and modern education.

To be able to do that, the state government will partner with the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) on the certification of the Almajiris who will graduate from the schools by issuing them a certificate of study from the board once he memorized the Holy Qur’an.

The disclosure was made by the Project Coordinator of the Gombe State Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA), Dr Abdullahi Bappah Ahmad in a statement signed by the Technical Assistant to the Project Coordinator, Usman Usman Dankyarana which was distributed to Reporters on Sunday at the end of a stakeholders meeting.

He stated that the aim of the visit was to invite them for a summit on Tsangaya education organized by the State government and to seek for collaboration with NBAIS to start issuing certificates to Almajiris that memorized the Holy Qur’an from Tsangaya Schools be it model or traditional tsangaya School to enable the Almajiris to have a certificate of furthering their education in any tertiary institution in the country.

He also stated that Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya is committed to repositioning Almajiri system of education in the State as he intends to establish 11 tsangaya model schools that will accommodate 1000 Almajiri in each local government, which is the first of its kind in the country, it will help to sustain the BESDA project on integrating Almajiri to continue with their education.

He also explained that BESDA programme is a four year Federal Government /World Bank-funded project aimed at mopping up out of school children to improve literacy and Gombe state has gone far under the programme.

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The Project Coordinator further told NBAIS officials that under the BESDA Programme, out-of-school girls child mostly hawkers between the ages 5-15 were enrolled in schools and Tsangaya Proprietors have started receiving their monthly allowances, feeding and provision of both learning and instructional materials was given to pupils enrolled into the programme.

Abdullahi Bappah then announced that Gombe State Government planned a two days National Summit on Almajiri education in Gombe on 24th – 25th July 2020 and invited the NBAIS to attend the summit.

While Receiving the team, Dr Abubakar Sani Husain, Director Centre for Tsangaya and General Education at the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS), explained that NBAIS was founded by late​ Alhaji Sir Ahmadu Bello, Sardauna of Sokoto in 1960 before it was transferred to Ahmafu Bello University ​ Zaria in 1969.

Dr Abubakar Sani also said that The Board has undergone a series of positive Transformation, Firstly, as a Board for the Northern part of Nigeria only with few Schools and Colleges under its tutelage.

Currently, with the recognition and approval of National Council on Education (NCE) at its 57th meeting held at Sokoto in February 2011, the Board as a National Examination and Regulatory Body cover the whole nation with over 900 recognized schools and colleges.

He further said that the vision of NBAIS is to realize the ambition of the Federal Government in its programme for the full integration of western Islamic education, the promotion of Qur’anic Schools and the Madrasah Islamiyyah Schools in the Country.

Abubakar Sani also said that if not because of the COVID-19 pandemic they have the plan to visit all the 36 states of the country on advocacy and organize seminars and workshops for all stakeholders in Almajiri and Tsangaya education.

He added that the Federal Government has built a centre for Tsangaya education under NBAIS and part of their mandate is to issuing certificates to Almajirai schools, and under this, it was divided into two, one for people that memorized Qur’an in modern Tsangaya Schools and second for Pupils that memorized Quran in traditional tsangaya schools.

Abubakar Sani said that by Gombe state will be the first to receive this certificates and assured them of NBAIS full support and cooperation of the Board.​

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