FG moves to take back Almajiri Schools built under Jonathan

The Federal Government has begun the formal recovery of 157 model Almajiri schools built during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

The development was confirmed by Nura Muhammad, spokesperson of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education (NCAOOSCE), in an interview in Abuja on Sunday.

Muhammad described the move as a major step toward overhauling and institutionalising Almajiri education nationwide.

He said the recovery process is already in motion and is intended to bring all the model schools under the Commission’s direct control ahead of a comprehensive rehabilitation plan.

According to him, the renewed push follows the establishment of a statutory national body specifically mandated to oversee all Almajiri-related programmes, a crucial framework he noted was absent during previous reform attempts.

He praised former President Jonathan for initiating the project, describing the construction of the schools as “a noble and well-intentioned stride toward modernising the Almajiri system.”

However, Muhammad noted that the initiative faced hurdles, particularly inadequate engagement with Alarammas, the traditional Qur’anic teachers central to the Almajiri learning structure.

“We must commend President Goodluck Jonathan for his remarkable efforts toward reforming Almajiri education, which led to the establishment of 157 model schools across the country.”

“Although the initiative was noble and well-intentioned, it faced several challenges.”

“One major issue was the inability to adequately carry along the Alarammas during implementation. Also, the programme existed merely as an initiative under the Federal Ministry of Education, without a strong institutional framework to sustain it,” he said.

Muhammad added that the Commission, now backed by law and guided by the newly adopted National Policy on Almajiri Education, is better positioned to drive lasting reforms.

“We are confident that, in due course, all negative practices associated with the system will be eliminated.”

“These schools will soon be fully under our control and subsequently rehabilitated so they can serve the purpose for which they were originally established,” he said.

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