There are approximately 13.2 million out of school children in Nigeria with 69% from Northern Nigeria. The majority of these from the Almajiri system with UNICEF estimating that they make up at least 70% of Nigeria’s out of school children. Precise numbers are hard to come by but there could be as many as 11-15 million in Nigeria today equivalent to 7% of the population. This system is practiced in Northern Nigeria and refers to young boys (Almajiri) and out of schoolgirls have migrated from their homes in search of Islamic knowledge. The term has expanded to refer to young people who beg on the streets and not in secular education. They are primarily from poor background who study Islamic learning with Malammai(“Mallams”), teachers of the Quran and depend on alms/ begging, child labour, scavenging to survive. The system today is characterised by social exclusion, chronic poverty and abuse churning out young people with little to no formal education or employable skills posing social and economic challenges to the Government and to Almajiri themselves. The Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted the issue with deportation of Almajiri children from across different States without any protective safeguards highlighting multiple vulnerabilities. There is not a lot of reliable information on what happens to them once they reach adulthood. Given their multiple vulnerabilities there have been concerns that Almajiri are at risk of recruitment into armed groups including violent extremist groups. For example, a UNDP pilot study based on interviews with young adults formally associated with Almajiri highlighted some concerns which may increase their vulnerability to recruitment in armed/violent extremist groups including low levels of education, low understanding of religious texts with 30% knowing Almajiri friends who had approached or joined armed groups including Boko Haram. UNICEF data also points to a number of child protection issues facing children. A recent survey based on data from over 6,000 in Kaduna and other northern states found that half were suffering from child neglect, abuse and exploitation whereas others faced psychological and mental distress, health concerns, gender-based violence and children in contact with the law. Many required social services to address these issues including food and nutrition, legal, education, health and counselling services. The Response: There have been a number of efforts to address this issue before, but they have failed lacking the support of Mallams and communities given deep cultural, social and religious underpinnings. Previous initiatives have also underscored the importance of having in place political leadership which is trusted. The high levels of trust placed in President Buhari and his Government in the North and amongst the Almajiri provide an opportunity for the current administration to address the Almajiri system. The ARC Project: Under the leadership of the Special Advisor to the President on Social Investments has devised an initiative to address the Almajiri system and beyond the plight of children in street situation in Nigeria with a strategy to put in place systems, mechanisms and structures at state and local government areas level to address this phenomenon. Addressing this would reduce poverty, insecurity, address health and education challenges and other issues. The project proposes an incentivisation strategy for Mallams and communications strategy for prevention to prevent a resurgence of Almajiri. Beyond that there is outreach with the Northern Governors Forum to galvanize their support. This has resulted in statements of support for this initiative as well as a stakeholder summit to facilitate mapping. The Project would be tailor made for different affected age groups and targets those at-risk including street affected. There is also a monitoring & evaluation and knowledge management component Working in partnership with UNICEF and UNDP, the Government will develop the current concept into a fully-fledged and costed offer/ project with objectives as well as milestones and themes/outputs along the lines of those already set out by the Government which would be required as a basis for success of this initiative. The Project should seek to complement and expand on the wide range of actors working in this space to engage these actors not simply as implementers but as active participants in the design and tailoring of the engagements. For this reason, the design phase will factor in broad based consultations to ensure engagements are informed by lessons learned and the context. This will also help ensure a continuous process of cross-fertilisation and adaptation between this project and those of partners. On completion of the Project, the Consultants in partnership with the Office of the Special Advisor to the President on Social Investments , UNDP and UNICEF will also support development of strategy documents, informational materials, briefing notes, costed plans and other materials to support the launch of the Project. The Consultants will work in close collaboration throughout with Special Adviser to the President on Social Protection, UNDP and UNICEF in development of the Project including development of methodological note, in-country consultations, development of the Project document , incorporation of comments and validation of the Project as well the launch of the Project by the Government of Nigeria.
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