The Federal Government has established 119 learning centres nationwide as part of sweeping reforms to provide foundational education for Almajiri learners and out-of-school children, marking a significant shift in how the country addresses educational exclusion.
Nura Muhammad, spokesperson for the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, disclosed this development during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday. The centres represent a dual approach to tackling educational challenges, with some supporting existing Almajiri schools through structured literacy and numeracy programmes, while others exclusively serve out-of-school children using the Accelerated Basic Education Programme curriculum.
The accelerated learning model enables students to complete foundational education in significantly shorter timeframes compared to conventional schooling, addressing the urgent need to bring millions of children into the formal education system. This initiative comes as Nigeria grapples with one of the world’s highest numbers of out-of-school children, estimated in the millions across northern and southern states.
A major policy breakthrough announced by Muhammad is the development of a National Policy on Almajiri Education, spearheaded by Minister of Education Tunji Alausa. Under this new framework, Almajiri learners will no longer be classified as out-of-school children, and Almajiri schools will receive equivalent support and funding as conventional schools. This reclassification represents a fundamental shift in government recognition of the centuries-old Almajiri system, which has long operated on the margins of Nigeria’s formal education structure.
The Commission has expanded its operational footprint across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory within 28 months of its establishment, demonstrating rapid institutional growth. This nationwide presence supports the implementation of a ward-to-ward advocacy campaign currently running in seven pilot states: Kano, Jigawa, Yobe, Borno, Lagos, Ogun, and Cross River.
The grassroots campaign engages multiple community stakeholders including parents, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organizations, and children themselves. The advocacy focuses on highlighting the risks of an unregulated Almajiri system and emphasizing the importance of enrolling all children in formal education. Lagos, Cross River, Ogun, and Yobe have completed ward-level coverage across their entire states, with encouraging public response. The remaining pilot states are advancing steadily, with plans to eventually scale the model nationwide.
These reforms align with the Commission’s establishment Act passed by the National Assembly and assented to by President Bola Tinubu in May 2023. The Commission’s mandate encompasses reforming the Almajiri system through literacy, numeracy, and skills acquisition programmes while ensuring millions of out-of-school children access formal and non-formal education pathways.
Executive Secretary Muhammad Idris conducted extensive nationwide consultations with key stakeholders upon assuming office, including the Sultan of Sokoto, the Christian Association of Nigeria President, the Oba of Lagos, the Shehu of Borno, the Ooni of Ife, and the Olubadan. These consultations led to two major retreats in Abuja organized with the Office of the National Security Adviser, specifically focused on Almajiri education reform and addressing out-of-school children.
The retreats produced the NCAOOSCE Strategic Plan covering 2025 to 2035, providing a comprehensive roadmap for the next decade of interventions. Among the Commission’s flagship programmes is the Tinubu Legacy Skills Training Institute, designed to equip Almajiri youth with both religious knowledge and employable vocational skills.
The Institute’s Kaduna campus recently completed training 200 Almajiri learners through a nine-month intensive programme covering Arabic and English literacy, Qur’anic interpretation, and diverse vocational skills including POP design, plumbing, agriculture, tiling, solar installation, GSM repair, and information technology. Students studied under the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies curriculum and have sat for required examinations, with results pending.
Muhammad noted that many trainees who previously could not communicate in English or Arabic now speak both languages fluently, demonstrating the programme’s effectiveness in bridging educational gaps. The Institute’s second branch in Ibadan currently trains 150 girls using the ABEP curriculum to accelerate their foundational education alongside vocational training. Upon completing the nine-month programme, these girls will qualify to continue their formal education.
