Musa Na-Allah, Sokoto
In a renewed effort to address the persistent challenge of street begging and reform the Almajiri education system, the Sokoto Advancement Forum (SAF) on Monday held a one-day stakeholders’ dialogue aimed at developing sustainable solutions for Sokoto State and Northern Nigeria.
The dialogue, chaired by Ambassador Professor Ahmad Muhammad Wali, brought together Islamic scholars, education experts, religious leaders, development advocates, and community representatives to deliberate on practical strategies for transforming Qur’anic education and safeguarding vulnerable children.
Delivering a lead presentation, Professor Mansur Ibrahim of Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto (UDUS), emphasized the need to draw a clear distinction between the traditional Almajiri model and street begging.
He explained that the original Almajiri system was built on Islamic scholarship, moral instruction, and lifelong discipline—not child exploitation.
“Street begging is not part of Islamic education. It is a distortion of a system that once produced respected scholars and leaders,” he said.
Professor Ibrahim praised humanitarian initiatives working to restore dignity to out-of-school children.
He highlighted the Sahaba Foundation, which provides education, food, and shelter for over 1,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) and vulnerable children, as well as the UK Jarma Academy, where a philanthropist supports more than 200 orphans from Borno, Yobe, and Sokoto States.
“These models show that with the right support systems, we can protect children while preserving Islamic learning,” he added.
Also speaking, Dr. Umar Altine, former Executive Secretary of the Sokoto State Arabic and Islamic Education Board, shared an example from Aulikiti and Karfen Sarki communities in Gudu Local Government Area, where local scholars have introduced vocational training into Qur’anic studies.
Almajiri pupils there learn trades such as shoemaking, petty commerce, and firewood processing alongside Islamic education, an approach he described as practical and sustainable.
Participants unanimously condemned the increasing number of children wandering the streets under the pretext of religious study.
They called on the state and federal governments to criminalize the transportation of underage children to cities without proper care, shelter, and educational arrangements.
Speakers also urged parents, religious leaders, and community stakeholders to take collective responsibility for child protection and support reforms that combine Islamic education with modern learning and skills acquisition.
In his closing remarks, Professor Bashir Wali reaffirmed SAF’s commitment to working with policymakers, traditional institutions, and development partners to implement a comprehensive child welfare framework.
“We are not calling for the abolition of the Almajiri system.
“We seek its reform so that it produces educated, disciplined, and self-reliant citizens, not street beggars,” he said.
The forum ended with a shared resolution that meaningful reform requires community action, policy intervention, accountability, and compassion to secure a better future for millions of Almajiri children across Northern Nigeria.
