(Street Beggers. Photo by Naijaonpoint)
The Federal Government has rolled out a new National Policy for the Enhancement of Almajiri Education, which prohibits Almajiri learning centres from sending pupils out to beg on the streets.
The policy introduces compulsory literacy, numeracy, digital education and vocational skills training as part of efforts to reform the country’s traditional Qur’anic education system.
Recently approved under the Federal Ministry of Education, the policy also mandates that all Almajiri learning centres be registered, requires biometric capture of learners, introduces nationally recognised certification for graduates, and prescribes sanctions including possible closure for centres that violate its provisions.
According to the policy document, the reforms are designed to end the long-standing practice of street begging associated with the Almajiri system, while integrating learners into Nigeria’s broader education framework without altering the religious character of Qur’anic schools.
The document states that no learner shall be sent out to beg on the streets or engage in menial work, warning that any registered centre found doing so will face sanctions, including possible suspension from operation.
It further explains that one of the policy’s key objectives is to eliminate all forms of begging, abuse and stigmatisation associated with the Almajiri system, in line with existing Child Protection Laws.
Beyond ending street begging, the government said the curriculum would be broadened to give learners a foundational education alongside employable skills.
Literacy and numeracy will now be built into Almajiri education nationwide, while digital skills, vocational training, Arabic language, civic education and life skills will also be incorporated into teaching.
The policy adds that relevant digital skills will be included in the training of both facilitators and learners.
It further provides that learners should be given the opportunity to acquire vocational and technical skills of their choosing, or ones approved by their parents or guardians, to boost their future economic prospects.
For the first time, graduates of recognised Almajiri learning centres will receive formal certification.
The policy states that a structured certification process will be established by the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, in collaboration with relevant federal agencies, and that learners who complete their Almajiri education will be awarded a certificate.
To strengthen oversight, the government has directed that all Almajiri learning centres nationwide must register with the relevant state or local government authority and maintain comprehensive learner records, both manually and electronically, including biometric data.
The reforms also set minimum operational standards for day and boarding Almajiri schools alike.
Under the new guidelines, learners must undergo health screening before admission, while facilitators will be subject to periodic health checks.
Each centre must also register with a nearby public health facility, maintain a functional first aid box, provide adequate water and sanitation facilities, ensure proper ventilation, and avoid overcrowding. Separate learning spaces are to be provided for male and female learners, with minimum standards also prescribed for hostels in boarding schools.
The policy extends welfare support to registered centres, making them eligible for learning materials, healthcare, nutrition services, school feeding programmes, scholarships for facilitators, and, depending on the capacity of individual states, allowances for teachers.
It also provides for Alarammas and other facilitators to be integrated into existing teacher development programmes run by agencies such as the Universal Basic Education Commission, State Universal Basic Education Boards, the National Teachers’ Institute and the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria.
The document stresses that the policy is meant to reform, not abolish, the Almajiri system, noting that it was developed not to take over learning centres but to provide clear operational guidelines and streamline the system’s activities, in order to guarantee the security and well-being of learners and teachers while promoting economic productivity among learners.
The government attributed many of the challenges facing the Almajiri system to years of neglect, parental abandonment, inadequate funding, poor regulation and widespread misconceptions, noting that children roaming the streets to beg had been exposed to exploitation, abuse and other risks, while significantly contributing to Nigeria’s out-of-school children population.
The policy also pays particular attention to girls in Qur’anic education, acknowledging that they have historically received less attention despite facing heightened risks of exploitation, neglect, poor living conditions and limited access to formal education.
Implementation responsibilities have been assigned to the Federal Ministry of Education, the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, state governments, local government education authorities, traditional rulers, parents, community leaders and development partners.
The commission is expected to coordinate nationwide implementation, build a database of learners and teachers, mobilise funding, enforce child protection standards, support states in registering learning centres, and work with relevant agencies to integrate basic education, technical and vocational education, digital literacy and skills acquisition into the Almajiri system.
The policy follows the establishment of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education in 2023, which was set up to coordinate interventions addressing Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis.
Nigeria has one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, a significant proportion of whom are linked to the traditional Almajiri system in parts of northern Nigeria.
Previous interventions, including the establishment of Almajiri model schools and efforts to integrate Qur’anic education into the Universal Basic Education programme, recorded mixed results due to poor funding, weak coordination and inadequate maintenance.
The newly released National Policy for the Enhancement of Almajiri Education is expected to serve as the first comprehensive national framework governing the registration, curriculum, welfare, funding, monitoring and regulation of Almajiri learning centres across the country.
