From Umar Danladi Ado, Sokoto
The Chairman, House Committee on Religious Affairs, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Hon. Shehu Abubakar Shamaki Yabo (APC–Yabo Constituency), has called for the enrolment of internally displaced children and their parents in integrated Almajiri schools to equip them with education and life skills for self-reliance.
Hon. Shamaki, who made the call while addressing journalists in Sokoto, said engaging displaced children through formal and Islamic education would help reduce street roaming and prevent their recruitment by criminal elements.
He warned that growing up without education, whether Islamic or Western, could jeopardize the future of many children and increase insecurity in the state.
Shamaki recalled presenting a motion before the Assembly urging the state government to use schools built by the Catar Charity Foundation to enrol IDPs and their parents for integrated learning that combines Islamic and Western education with entrepreneurship training.
According to him, leaving such children on the streets is “like a time bomb waiting to explode.”
He noted that the Assembly had amended the law establishing the Arabic and Islamic Education Commission, reverting it to the Islamic Education Board. The new law mandates the integration of Islamic, Western, and entrepreneurial education in both public and private schools, including local Almajiri centres.
Under the revised law, graduates from these schools will receive certificates that qualify them for post-primary and tertiary education, while entrepreneurship skills will enable them to achieve self-reliance and reduce street begging.
Shamaki disclosed that the state government has approved the “Alnizamo Policy of Education” under the supervision of the Arabic and Islamic Education Board, adding that preparations for its full implementation are underway, with some schools already adopting the policy.
He emphasized that rather than criminalizing the movement of Qur’anic scholars with their pupils, efforts should focus on ensuring the children receive both Islamic and Western education.
“The challenge of mass rural child migration requires a collective effort from the government and the entire Ummah to ensure every child has access to proper education,” he added.
