FG to take over abandoned Almajiri schools

Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE), Dr. Muhammad Sani Idris, has said the Federal Government will take over the abandoned 157 Almajiri schools.

Idris, disclosed this during a signing event of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA) in Yola, Adamawa State.

He said the schools were abandoned by successive governments.

“I have directed my Chief of Staff to conclude arrangements for the takeover of 157 Almajiri schools in the country, built by former President Goodluck Jonathan, which were abandoned by successive administrations in the country.

“We have also applied to the Federal Government to help us rehabilitate them for the take-off of normal academic activities in our quest to tackle the challenges of Almajiri and out-of-school children in the country,” he said.

He said the commission was working with the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies (NBAIS) to deploy staff to the rehabilitated schools due to the large number of schools involved.

Also speaking, Odinaka Chimbama, the National Coordinator of CSACEFA and Policy Advisor, said: Any nation that wants to develop must invest in education, but unfortunately in Nigeria, even the little being budgeted to the sector is not accounted for or properly utilized.”