Why Almajiri should be integrated into National educational framework — Buhari’s ex-aide

Bashir Ahmad, an aide to former President Muhammadu Buhari, has advocated for the integration of the Almajiri system into Nigeria’s national educational framework to address misconceptions and improve its structure.

He made this known in a post on his official X account on Wednesday.

According to him, he is in support of the view of the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Saidu, that Almajiri children should not be classified as out-of-school children, emphasising that the system is a form of Islamic education.

Ahmad suggested that recognising the Almajiri education system within the national framework would significantly reduce the number of out-of-school children in northern Nigeria, as most children in the region already attend either formal or Islamic schools.

He attributed the visibility of Almajiri children on the streets to the inadequate support and structure provided by the current system.

He argued that offering the same level of resources and infrastructure to Almajiri schools as is available to boarding schools could transform the perception and functionality of the system.

He tweeted, “The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Saidu, is absolutely correct that Almajiri children should not be classified as out-of-school children, as the Almajiri is a system of Islamic education. However, I believe the best way to address this is by integrating the Almajiri education system into our national educational framework or ensuring it is officially recognized by the system.

“Once this is achieved, the northern states could become those with the lowest numbers of out-of-school children, as it is rare to find a child in the north who does not attend either formal or Islamic school.

“Almajiri children are visible on the streets primarily because the current system does not adequately provide for their needs. If Almajiri schools were given treatment in terms of support and structure similar to that of boarding schools, the narrative would change entirely.”

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