Governor Abdullahi Sule has urged the National Assembly of Nigeria to enact legislation permanently outlawing the Almajiri system, describing it as a major driver of the growing out-of-school population and rising insecurity across Northern Nigeria.
Speaking at a summit on enhancing human capital development in Northern Nigeria held in Abuja, Sule argued that the traditional system has become the largest structural factor behind the region’s education crisis. He noted that Nigeria currently has an estimated 18.3 million out-of-school children, with Almajiri children accounting for a significant percentage of that figure.
The governor warned that many young people drawn into banditry and other criminal activities have emerged from the Almajiri system, stressing that the absence of formal education and vocational opportunities leaves thousands of children vulnerable to exploitation.
According to Sule, Nasarawa State alone has about 430,000 out-of-school children, underscoring the urgency of comprehensive reforms to address the challenge.
He recalled the mass repatriation of Almajiri children carried out by Nasarawa and Kaduna State in 2020 but maintained that enforcement measures must be accompanied by sustainable alternatives. He advocated compulsory formal education and structured skills acquisition programmes as replacements for the existing system.
Sule further called for stronger collaboration among Northern intellectuals, political leaders, and traditional institutions to drive meaningful reforms. He urged stakeholders to translate discussions from the summit into concrete legislative proposals, insisting that lasting policy changes remain essential to reducing poverty and improving human development across the region.
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