The Senate on Tuesday urged the Ministry of Education to intensify its sensitization and engagement of traditional and religious scholars on the plight of Almajiris, and the need to enroll them into the universal basic education system.

It made the call in the report of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) on the need to integrate Almajiri Education morning not the Modern System of Education in Nigeria.

The vice chairman of the committee, Senator Akon Eyakenyi, in her presentation, observed that “the Almajiris, who are predominant in the North, constitute the larger number of out of school children roaming the streets begging for alms and food in Nigeria, and therefore are covered by the intervention policy and programmes of the Federal Government through the Universal Basic Education Act, 2004.

“The implementation of the UBEC Act, 2004 requires maximum collaborations with the State Governments and indeed the domestication of the Act through the State Legislatures.”

She noted that Nigeria had obtained $611 million dollars from the World Bank Financed Programme – Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA), as a credit to specifically address the problem of Out of School Children. (Daily Trust)

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