Northern govs restate commitment to ending out-of-school children, almajiri menace

The Northern States Governors’ Forum has reiterated its commitment to come up with a comprehensive strategy to tackle the high rate of out-of-school children and the Almajiri menace in the region through an enhanced partnership with the Islamic Development Bank.

According to a press statement signed and released on Thursday by the Director General of Press Affairs to the NSGF Chairman, Ismaila Misilli, the resolution was disclosed during a meeting held between Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, and a delegation from the IsDB, led by the Bank’s Country Representative, Dr Hasanul Kibria.

Yahaya, who is also the Governor of Gombe State, emphasised that the Northern states are deeply concerned about the alarming rates of educational exclusion, particularly among the Almajiri.

He noted that the states would leverage the IsDB’s SMART Education project to not only expand access to education but also to improve its quality and enhance learning outcomes in the region.

“The states in the North are disturbed by the increasing rates of educational exclusion, and we are committed to working with development partners like the Islamic Development Bank to address this menace,” Governor Yahaya stated.

He highlighted Gombe State’s efforts to modernise the Almajiri system by integrating formal education with Islamic teachings, improving infrastructure, and building teacher capacity to motivate the out-of-school children back to the classrooms and to better serve children in Tsangaya schools.

The NSGF Chairman revealed that the Northern Governors’ Forum would soon convene an expanded meeting with key stakeholders, during which the issue of out-of-school children would take centre stage.

He commended the IsDB for its role in supporting education and sought expanded collaboration in areas such as agriculture, animal husbandry, lives and livelihood support, and human capital development in general, citing Gombe’s strategic location and favorable business environment as a promising investment destination.

Speaking earlier, Kibria outlined the Islamic Development Bank’s SMART Education initiative, which is co-financed by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and supported by other Arab development institutions.

He explained that the project aims to address the urgent educational needs of states with high rates of out-of-school children, particularly in Northern Nigeria.

The agricultural partnership between Gombe State and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) seeks to empower 500,000 beneficiaries, with 50 per cent of them being youth, 40 per cent women, and 10 per cent people living with disabilities.

Also, the IsDB is offering grants to Gombe state under the Lives and Livelihoods Fund, specifically targeting the agriculture and education sectors.

Kibria also proposed additional areas of cooperation beyond education, including infrastructure, ICT, and energy, reaffirming the IsDB’s commitment to contributing to Gombe State and Northern region’s development.