Dr Muhammad Usman-Bugaje, a prominent political activist, has called on the Federal Government to implement the recommendations of the National Summit on Almajirci (NSA) report.
Usman-Bugaje made the call in Katsina on Friday, while presenting a paper during the pre-convocation lecture of the Al-Qalam University, Katsina.
The topic of the lecture was: ‘The Out-of-School-Children and the Conscience of the Nation: A Discourse on the Genesis, Prognosis and Solutions of the Almajirci Phenomenon’.
According to Usman-Bugaje, a former national assembly member, the call was part of measures to tackle the almajirci phenomenon, especially in the northern part of the country.
“The NSA report consequent upon the incessant plight of the Almajirai and the need to reinvent the Almajirci system of education, which has been accentuated by several disturbing events in contemporary Nigeria.
“The NSA came up with an idea of remodeling the Almajirci education system in the country. This idea resulted from the need to make the system more relevant to the contemporary socio-political and economic realities of Nigeria.
“As such, the summit adopts a comprehensive strategy that clearly differentiates its approach from previous attempts through inclusive stakeholder engagement, informed by extensive research, and effective implementation mechanisms.
“The summary of the report provides a concise introduction into the objectives and recommendations of the summit.
“And also highlights the strategy that the NSA’s intervention adopted to reach this stage of its effort to remodel and enhance the relevance of the system to modern day realities,” he said.
Usman-Bugaje listed the recommendations to include; to implement reforms in the Almajirci education system and integrating modern education within the framework of Islamic studies.
Other recommendations, he mentioned include; to introduce social welfare programmes to address the economic vulnerabilities of Almajiri children and their families.
The rest are: Advocate and enact legislation that supports the rights and well-being of Almajiri children, encourage community involvement in addressing the challenges of Almajirci, and fostering a sense of collective responsibility.
According to him, the implementation of skills development programmes for Almajiri children to enhance their prospects for meaningful employment was also part of the recommendations.
Usman-Bugaje said, “In a nutshell, the summit on Almajirci’s approach was distinguished by its inclusive stakeholder engagement, research-driven integration, and solution-focused implementation.
“And also setting the stage for a coordinated, adaptive, and sustainable effort to address the complex issues associated with Almajirci in Nigeria.”
He further said that the aims of the summit’s intervention were to provide comprehensive understanding, deepen the understanding of the Almajirci system, considering its historical, cultural, and socio-economic dimensions.
Usman-Bugaje added that it was to encourage stakeholder commitment, to extract commitment from all stakeholders towards the resolution of Almaiirci related issues and the implementation of effective solutions.
“The aim was also to ensure the establishment of a monitoring and evaluation mechanism for ongoing assessment of progress made, addressing challenges, and ensuring accountability,” he added.
Usman-Bugaje expressed concern over the 2022 report of UNESCO, which said that Nigeria has about 20 million out-of-school children.
According to him, the current security situation in some parts of Nigeria that gave the country bad publicity is a clear consequence of keeping children out of school.
Some of the guests at the event are; Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), a one-time Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Sani Zangon-Daura and Sen. Abdulrahman Kawu-Sumaila.
