By Desmond Mgboh, KANO
Kano State Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje said that the state has become a center of convergence for Almajiri in Northern Nigeria because there is no legislation outlawing vagrant children who beg in the name of Koranic education.
The Governor said a recent study conducted by his office shows that a majority of the Almajiri in Kano who roam the streets were actually non-indigenes of the state.
Ganduje made the remark while receiving the Project Director of Khalifa Dankadai Foundation, a local non-governmental organization.
The influx of child beggars into the state is a stumbling block in the way of the government’s developmental plans, the Governor said.
“At the moment, Kano has the highest number of Almajiri and from the statistics we got, their number is equal to, if not more than, those attending formal schools.”
He disclosed that he had personally presented a proposal to other governors of Northern states on how to integrate the pupils of Tsangaya and Koranic schools into the formal education system, lamenting that many of these children end up begging instead of staying in one environment to learn.
He promised that the state government would partner with Khalifa Dankadai Foundation to initiate a comprehensive programme regarding welfare and education of the Almajiri, as well as to generally promote social development in Kano.
The Foundation focuses on human capacity building of youth and women, with a special programme covering Almajiri education.