Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Nigeria’s First Lady, called on Saudi Arabia to support reforms in Almajiri and out-of-school children education on Thursday. She received Ambassador Yousef Mohammed Al-Balawi of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the State House in Abuja.
Busola Kukoyi, Senior Special Assistant on Media to the First Lady, detailed the meeting in a statement. Senator Tinubu urged a strategic partnership to overhaul the Almajiri system. She proposed combining Islamic Arabic teachings with formal Western education.
Senator Tinubu stressed the need for better care. “I work with the women and vulnerable children in the society; my heart goes out to the Almajiri children up North. I believe they need better care,” she said.
She linked the issue to national security. “This is because most of the insecurity challenges in the nation, if those particular group of children are not taken care of, I don’t know what might happen.”
She added confidence in progress. “I believe we can still start to give them formal education. If we are able to do that, the future of Nigeria will be well secured.”
Senator Tinubu noted the long-standing bilateral ties between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia. These ties rest on shared religious and cultural bonds. She expressed confidence in Saudi Arabia as a partner for the initiative. Meanwhile, she thanked Ambassador Al-Balawi for the visit.
The Almajiri system centres on Quranic instruction. Yet it often remains disconnected from formal schooling and vocational training. Estimates place the Almajiri population between eight and thirteen million. Nigeria also faces one of the world’s largest numbers of out-of-school children.
