The problem of Almajiri in Nigeria, particularly in the North, represents clear and present danger. The danger, however, is not regional biased. It poses a grave danger to all the national facets.
Almajiri, which has become synonymous, albeit erroneously, with begging, is a Hausa language adoption of the Arabic word – ‘Al-Muhajir’ – meaning “someone who leaves home in search of knowledge.”
First, the problem of Almajiri was primarily caused by parents who send them out, in the guise of seeking Quranic knowledge and thereby shirking their responsibilities to their children.
Many of these parents don’t even bother to check on the children once they are sent out. Some others who do even ply pressure on their children by not only expecting but demanding money and gifts from the children they ask to go in search of Quranic knowledge. This ultimately forces the children to go in search of money, mostly through begging, in order to, first of all, take care of themselves and, then, their parents.
However, the problem of Almajiri kids is neither religion nor region-focused. It affects Muslims, Christians and faithful of other religions. Its effects usually reverberate across regions of the country.
Although the problem has been in the North for a very long time, the danger multiplies and spreads to other parts of the country daily.
This is why the proposal by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, to train 10 million of the out-of-school children, otherwise called Almajiris, is commendable.
The bishop reasoned that there is a strong link between unending bloodletting in almost all the states in the North and the army of uneducated and unskilled youths roaming the streets of the region.
His belief may have roots in the fact that some Almajiris have not only been actively involved in the banditry and insurrection in the region but have actually led terror groups such as the dreaded Boko Haram. A case in view is that of the leader of the group, Abubakar Shekau. Shekau was said to be an Almajiri long before he met the founder of Boko Haram, Mohammed Yusuf. He later assumed leadership of the organisation in 2009 after the killing of his leader, Yusuf.
Kukah proposes to source foreign funding to train 10 million Almajiris and equip them with vocational skills. He sought to achieve this through his Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the Kukah Centre.
However, criticisms have trailed Kukah’s proposal. The stringent of the criticisms came from a Muslim organisation, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), It alleged that Kukah, a Christian, should not be entrusted with the Almajiris, believed to be majorly Muslims.
“We cannot pretend to be so naïve as to entrust our Muslim children to the hands of Christians. As far as we are concerned, Kukah’s Almajiri dream is a Trojan horse,” it said.
But we believe Kukah deserves commendation for thinking it wise to train 10 million Almajiris.
The jobless and hapless young men are waiting recruits of terrorists and are easy converts of bandit groups, armed robbery gangs and kidnapping rings.
That is why we enjoin individuals, whether Muslims, Christians or people of other faiths, as well as organisations to encourage Kukah to be able to achieve the lofty idea of taking a whopping 10 million Almajiri children of the streets.
Instead of criticising Kukah, interested individuals and organisations should also come up with workable and achievable plans to train more Almajiri children. More so since Kukah has not proposed to train every Almajiri child. There are probably millions of others who could be recruited by criminal-minded individuals and organisations for their nefarious activities.
It is the responsibility of government to find solution to the Almajiri problem. This was also emphasised by President Muhammadu Buhari in a recent interview.
Buhari blamed state and local governments for the lingering issue of Almajiris in the North.
Nigeria, according to him, is still experiencing the problem of Almajiris because state and local governments have not been fulfilling their own part of the bargain.
Buhari said the Federal Government usually gives money to state and local governments, because, according to him, they are the ones that can take care of the issue of Almajiris.
“But because they didn’t do their job, that is why we still have the issue of Almajiris,” he said.
However, the Federal Government cannot whish away its blame of the failure to take care of the Almajiris.
We urge the Federal Government to revisit the Almajiri school project and make it work. Former President Goodluck Jonathan started the Almajiri integrated model schools to tackle high rate of illiteracy in the North.
The Federal Government had planned to spend N15 billion on the project launched on April 10, 2012 at Gagi in Sokoto State. Unfortunately, some of the schools have been converted to conventional schools while others are in state of decay.
Kukah’s proposal should be regarded as a clarion call on all to find solution to the out-of-school children problem.
It is neither a Muslim nor a Christian problem but a national challenge. It must be seen and treated as such by all.
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