BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Sokoto State Arabic and Islamic Education Board, Ministry of Women and Children Affairs and Sokoto State Zakkat and Waqf and Empowerment Commission with support from UNICEF have held a 2 day meeting with stakeholders in the state towards having a strategic action plan for Almajiri and out of school adolescent girls in the state.
In the meeting, it was agreed that some out of school children are majorly not Almajiri, hence the need to have accurate data of out of school children, which will be very appropriate to overcome all its associated challenges.
Sokoto State Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Hon Kulu Abdullahi Sifawa in her opening remarks, decried that the actual reason for Almajiri seems to have been lost as both parents and teachers are abusing the objective.
UNICEF Chief of Field Office, Sokoto, Dr Ranganai Matema, on her part expressed concern that the issue of Almajiri system has come under spotlight in recent years.
She further commended the northern governors’ decision to reform the Almajiri system as a measure to protect these most vulnerable group and guard against potential abuse.
Dr Ranganai, who lamented that a large number of these Almajiri are malnourished, unkept with poor health, added that they also live in a crowded and unhygienic places.
While appealing that stakeholders must work collaboratively to ensure protective system that will guarantee better outcomes for all children, the community and the State, Dr Ranganai decried that most graduates from the Almajiri system do not have any livelihood skills that will help them to earn decent living as adults.
She also pleaded that special attention must be paid to the situation of adolescent girls who remained invisible and whose well- being and protection needs must be prioritized.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Wazirin Sokoto, Professor Sambo Wali Junaidu and the State ALGON chairman, Hon Mustapha Shehu, said the Almajiri will continue to be vulnerable if the Juvenile Courts are not revived.
Prof Sambo who was represented by a legal luminary, Justice Bello Gidadawa (rtd) said the law backing out of school children should be functional, adding, the clause of helping irresponsible children be criminalized should be included to help curb the menace.
The ALGON chairman, Hon Mustapha assured that they are ready to ensure compliance at the local levels at any decision reached towards protecting the lives of our children.
In the stakeholders session on Co- constructing a Viable Road-map with clear Interventions Milestones, Mr Ibrahim Sessay, Chief of Child Protection UNICEF-Nigeria, appealed to individuals to have a retrospection and answer the bitter question of whether stakeholders are really delivering for the Almajiri and out of school children.
Mr Sessay who noted that some challenges attributing to the Almajiri mentality in the northern region include but not limited to strong cultural norms, religious underpinnings, poverty and social vulnerability, gender inequality amongst others.
He appealed to stakeholders to entrench social dialogues at the community levels towards improving the trend.
He further, said that UNICEF is ready to provide support to help make the difference, hence the programme actually belong to the state.
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