Governor Yahaya Leads Northern Governors in Tackling Out-of-School Children and Almajiri Menace
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has reaffirmed his commitment to addressing the high rates of out-of-school children and the Almajiri system in Northern Nigeria. In a recent meeting with a delegation from the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), led by the Bank’s Country Representative, Dr. Hasanul Kibria, Governor Yahaya emphasized the urgency of tackling educational exclusion in the region.
Governor Yahaya, speaking on behalf of the Northern governors, highlighted the potential of the IsDB’s SMART Education project to expand access to education and improve learning outcomes. He also detailed Gombe State’s efforts to modernize the Almajiri system by integrating formal education with Islamic teachings, enhancing infrastructure, and building teacher capacity to better serve children in Tsangaya schools.
The Northern Governors’ Forum plans to convene an expanded meeting with key stakeholders to further address the issue of out-of-school children. Governor Yahaya praised the IsDB for its support in education and expressed a desire for expanded collaboration in other areas such as agriculture, animal husbandry, livelihoods support, and human capital development.
Dr. Kibria outlined the IsDB’s SMART Education initiative, which is co-financed by the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) and supported by other Arab development institutions. The initiative targets states with high rates of out-of-school children, particularly in Northern Nigeria.
The partnership between Gombe State and the IsDB also extends to agriculture, aiming to empower 500,000 beneficiaries, with a focus on youth, women, and people with disabilities. Additionally, the IsDB is providing grants to Gombe State under the Lives and Livelihoods Fund, specifically for the agriculture and education sectors. Dr. Kibria proposed further collaboration in areas such as infrastructure, ICT, and energy, reaffirming the IsDB’s commitment to the development of Gombe State and the Northern region.
