Weekend Trust Page 3 Comment, May 16, 2026
Almajiranci, the age-old practice of sending children, often as young as three or four, into the care of Islamic clerics to study the Quran has persisted in Northern Nigeria for generations. Yet, in this 21st century, it has morphed from a spiritual pursuit into a dangerous social and political problem, threatening the stability and future of the region.
A recent story by the Weekend Trust brought to the fore, all the ills associated with the almajiranci, especially the way it is being abused in Northern Nigeria.
Learning is an act of worship; but Islam clearly prescribes how it should be pursued. The current pattern is an aberration.
At the family level, almajiranci is a blatant abdication of parental responsibility. Children are handed over to Malams who are ill-equipped to provide adequate shelter, nutrition, and psychosocial support. Many Malams cannot cope with the social, economic, or psychological needs of these children. Fathers, seeking an escape from responsibilities, often abandon their offspring, leaving the vulnerable children to fend for themselves.
The consequences are evident. Many almajirai turn to miscreancy, drug abuse, and become easy recruits for political thuggery. Politicians exploit their desperation, manipulating them during elections or using them to intimidate opponents. The tragedy in Kano, where some people were killed shortly after the swearing-in of Deputy Governor Sule Garo by youths largely drawn from almajiri schools, is only one glaring example of this latent violence.
Northern leaders, rather than confronting the menace, prefer silence. Even clerics who house large numbers of almajirai often treat them as bargaining tools, wielding influence over politicians or local affairs. We are going to see a lot of these as the 2027 General Elections inch closer. Nationally, the problem has been recognised. The National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children, established to address these issues, mandates that states must cascade structured support to ensure these children’s welfare and education. However, without political will and coordinated action, the Commission’s objectives remain largely aspirational.
Attempts to reform the system have failed repeatedly. Former President Goodluck Jonathan made an effort to formalise almajiri schools, yet most of the multi-billion-naira infrastructure now lies in ruins. During COVID-19, states “traded” children in a manner that exposed the lack of oversight— almajirai and their Malams were returned within days without real change.
The solution exists elsewhere. Countries like Sudan, Turkey, and Egypt have modernised madrassas, combining traditional Quranic education with structured, state-supported frameworks. Children there do not roam the streets; they are fed, educated, and secured. They learn to commit the Quran to memory efficiently while remaining protected. Nigerian authorities should adopt a similar model, ensuring a blend of Quranic and Western education that results in certification, opening doors for employment and societal contribution.
This is not merely an educational issue; it is a political and social crisis. Northern politicians are content with almajirai in the streets, knowing these children are manipulable. Meanwhile, the children of the Northern elite attend elite schools at home and abroad, funded by state resources diverted under the guise of protecting almajirai. UNICEF’s latest report highlights the magnitude of the problem: Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, with Northern states like Kano, Kaduna, and Sokoto recording alarming figures.
Even culturally, there is room for reform. Kano’s Emir Muhammadu Sanusi has recently emphasised responsible child spacing as a means of managing family values. Islam itself prescribes conditions for having multiple wives and children, underscoring that quantity without quality care is detrimental. Yet, these warnings are often ignored, and truth is hidden behind sentiment and rhetoric.
The time for half-measures is over. Almajiranci is a regional emergency. Northern governors must mobilise traditional rulers, clerics, philanthropists, and parents to collectively eradicate this practice. A clear timeline and actionable framework are needed. Malams should be empowered to manage schools effectively with state support, moving away from the street-based, unstructured model. The Child Rights Act (2003) explicitly states in Section 10 that every child has the right to protection from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. This legal backing must inform policy and practice.
Left unchecked, almajiranci is a ticking time bomb. The children who litter our streets today are tomorrow’s bandits, insurgents, and miscreants. Security operatives may kill some, but the root causes—parental abdication, political exploitation, and systemic neglect— remain. Nigeria’s Northern region, already battling backwardness and instability, cannot afford the luxury of denial.
Northern leaders must acknowledge the truth: the almajirai are our children, our future. We cannot allow politics, selfishness, and apathy to dictate their fate. The time has come to modernise, regulate, and humanise almajiranci—turning a centuries-old tradition into a force for learning, character building, and regional progress.