National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE) has partnered with the North East Development Commission (NEDC) towards addressing the education of out-of-school children and Almajiris in the Northeast.
Speaking during a courtesy call on the NEDC on Friday in Maiduguri, the executive secretary/CEO of NCAOOSCE, Dr Muhammad Sani Idris, appealed to the commission to establish six mega model schools in the six states of the Northeast for the provision of western education to the teeming out-of-school children and the Almajiris in the region.
The NCAOOSCE executive secretary noted that engaging the out-of-school children and the Almajiris roaming the streets would work against the conscription of the youths into terrorism and ending the decade-long insurgency in the Northeast region.
He said providing the mega model schools would enable the Almajiris to undergo the Islamic form of education alongside western education, so as to be empowered and be taken out of the streets.
He said because of the various abuses and violations faced by the Almajiris, the commission would be embarking on advocacy visits to parents, communities and teachers to enlighten them on the dangers of indiscriminate exposure of children to unregulated Almajiri system of education.
“This partnership has the capacity of addressing the issue of out-of-school children and Almajiris. I want to appeal to other development agencies and commissions to emulate the work NEDC is doing and accept our request for partnership. Together, we can have Nigeria that will give its children the reason to raise their heads in the face of committee of nations,” Idris said.
He said current data suggests that Nigeria has about 30 million Almajiris that are not accessing western education.
“We bring you glad tidings from the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE). We are not unaware of the giant strides of the North East Development Commission (NEDC).
“We know through your leadership strength, and collaboration with the (NCAOOSCE), together, we can help actualise President Bola Tinubu’s dream to rid the country of Out-of-School Children roaming the streets, as well as upgrading and improving the lives of Almajiri children,” he added.
Responding, the NEDC managing director, Mohammed Alkali, assured the NCAOOSCE delegation that the commission would immediately embark on the building of the six mega model schools in the six states of the Northeast being that education and empowerment is part of the mandate of the commission to the people of region.
He also promised that the NEDC would help in financing the NCAOOSCE advocacy visits which would be done on a ward-by-ward level throughout the Northeastern States for the education of the people against exposing their children to dangers and abuses.
