The Senate yesterday urged the Federal Government to upgrade the existing almajiri model schools and build more to increase the number of schools enrolment, thereby reducing the number of out-of-school children on the streets.

The Senate mandated its Committee on Basic and Secondary Education to recommend means of collaborating with state governments on how to get the 14 million out-of-school children enrolled in Basic and Secondary Education Programme.

It also called on the National Orientation Agency to initiate a sensitisation programme specifically on the issue of the almajiri and its negative impacts on children in the society especially in the northern part of Nigeria. The resolutions were sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central).

Aliero, in a lead debate, noted that

as at today based on UNICEF findings, we have more than 14 million out-of-school children most of them being almajirai roaming the streets of our major cities in Nigeria begging for alms and food.

He said despite government efforts at integrating the almajiri into modern education system, the implementation of the policy has not achieved the desired result.

He said some of the structures of the Almajiri Integrated Model Schools launched by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan were either lying fallow or put into uses other than what they were originally intended for.

Source: Daily Trust

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.