The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) has expressed concern over the growing risks posed by unregulated religious schools and external ideological influence, calling for stronger oversight of madrassas across Nigeria.
The concern was raised during a national briefing held under the EU-supported Research and Action for Peace (REcAP) Programme on Monday in Abuja.
The briefing examined how religious education, particularly madrassas, may intersect with radical ideologies and foreign funding.
In his statement, WANEP’s representative in Nigeria, Emmanuel Ami-Okhani, said the event brought together policymakers, researchers, civil society leaders and security actors to deliberate on the theological, cultural, and security implications of religious schooling in the country.
He said the REcAP project was being implemented in partnership with the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) and the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
According to him, it seeks to strengthen the role of civil society and research in responding to violent extremism and promoting peacebuilding in West Africa and the Lake Chad Basin.
Presenting a study titled “Madrasas, Charities and Religious Radicalism in Northern Nigeria,” Dr Saheed Owonikoko, revealed that the Almajiri system, though originally rooted in noble Islamic education, had become susceptible to informal and unverified foreign influence.
He explained that many Almajiri schools remain unregulated and undocumented, creating vulnerabilities that extremist elements could exploit.
Ami-Okhani emphasised that the initiative aims not to stigmatise Islamic education but to ensure transparency and strengthen the role of credible religious learning in fostering peace and unity.
“Religious education should remain a force for tolerance and nation-building, not division,” he said.
“While the majority of Almajiri students are peaceful and committed to Quranic learning, the lack of structure and supervision creates loopholes for ideological manipulation,” he said.
He noted that some foreign-linked religious charities, particularly from the Middle East, fund these schools informally, making transparency and accountability difficult.
The second study titled “Madrassas and Islamic Extremism among Teenage Muslim Students in Southwestern Nigeria”, was presented by Dr Busari Dauda of the University of Ilorin.
The study found that while Southwestern madrassas are relatively structured and registered with authorities, ideological influences can still filter through sect-based teachings and global media narratives.
Dauda said that although there was no widespread evidence of violent radicalisation, many young Muslims expressed growing perceptions of global injustice, often shaped by conflicts such as the Palestinian crisis and anti-Muslim sentiments in Western societies.
Participants at the briefing called for coordinated oversight of informal religious institutions and collaboration between education authorities, religious councils and community leaders.
