By Eshioromeh Sebastian
Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has asked the National Assembly to enact legislation that would permanently prohibit the Almajiri system, describing the practice as a primary factor behind Northern Nigeria’s high number of out-of-school children and the region’s escalating security problems.
Speaking at the Summit on Enhancing Human Capital Development in Northern Nigeria held in Abuja, the governor made a case for legislative action that would phase out the system and introduce compulsory education and vocational training in its place.
Sule noted that Nigeria currently has approximately 18.3 million children who are not enrolled in any form of schooling, with the Almajiri system being “the single largest structural contributor” to this crisis in the North.
According to figures presented by the governor, children from the Almajiri system constitute between 72 and 81 percent of the nation’s total out-of-school population, with the vast majority concentrated in the northern states.
He drew a connection between the Almajiri system and the region’s insecurity, stating that many young people who are drawn into banditry and criminality emerge from this system. He emphasized that “urgent action is needed to break the cycle of poverty, illiteracy and insecurity.”
Sule disclosed that Nasarawa State alone has roughly 430,000 children who are out of school. He stressed that addressing this problem requires more than government effort; it demands the participation of Northern intellectuals, political office holders and traditional institutions, adding that “the challenge cannot be tackled by government alone.”
The governor recalled the 2020 decision by Nasarawa and Kaduna States to repatriate Almajiri children to their states of origin, noting that “while the intervention was necessary, it failed to provide a lasting solution to the problem.” He insisted that “enforcement measures must be complemented with practical alternatives that guarantee access to education and opportunities for young people.”
Sule called for “a total ban on the Almajiri system” to be replaced with “compulsory formal education and vocational training programmes designed to equip children with relevant skills.”
He also warned that dealing with the Almajiri problem in the North alone would not be sufficient, since children who are not properly absorbed into education or employment “may simply migrate elsewhere in the country.”
The governor further addressed the issue of early marriage, cautioning that practices such as marrying off underage girls “cannot be justified by citing the marriage of the Prophet Muhammad to Hajiya Fatima at a young age, since the realities of today differ from those of over a thousand years ago.”
He urged Nigerians to be guided instead by “the warning in the Holy Quran, Surah An-Nisa, where Allah cautions all of humanity to fear Him and treat orphans and women with justice.”
Sule urged his fellow Northern leaders to ensure that the summit produces “actionable draft bills for consideration by the National Assembly,” insisting that “only comprehensive legislative action would provide a sustainable solution to the longstanding challenge.”
Drawing from his personal experience, the governor mentioned that he attended a public school in Gudi, Nasarawa State, and later trained as a certified welder at a public technical college. He argued that “investment in technical and vocational skills can help Nigerian youths compete favourably for specialised jobs.”
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