Most of 3 million Almajiri children in the north are foreigners - Kano state governor
- Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said more than three million children are roaming the streets of Northern Nigeria
- The governor, however, said most of the children are not Nigerians
- According to Ganduje, most of these children, popularly called 'Almajiris' are from neighbouring countries
Kano state Governor Abdullahi Ganduje said there are more than 3 million Almajiri children who are out of school and roaming the streets of Northern Nigeria.
NAIJ.com gathered that the governor however said that most of these homeless children are not Nigerians but they migrated from neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad and Northern Cameroon.
According to Sahara Reporters, Governor Ganduje made this statement on Thursday, April 6, during the Kaduna state Economic and Investment Summit.
The governor said most of the children who are abandoned in Quranic schools by the parents are not from Nigeria but neighbouring countries.
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Almajiris are children, often abandoned at Quranic schools by their parents, but are normally seen roaming the northern streets begging for food and money.
Ganduje reportedly said that a survey conducted has shown that most of these children are foreigners.
He said: “What we discovered from our survey is that many of these Almajiris come from the Niger Republic, some from Chad, Northern Cameroon and some from other states of the north-west.”
Ganduje further said that a tight border control that will prevent children from migrating from neighbouring country will solve the issue of Almajiri in the North.
He said: “So, if we can come together and have a common synergy to introduce a common legislation, preventing the movement of school age children from one place to another, I think the states will find it very easy to address the problem of Almajiri syndrome.
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“It will be very important to have an integration commission which looks into the development capacity of our institutions, because whatever we want to do, if our institutions are not developed, then whatever we do may not be actualized."
Meanwhile, NAIJ.com recalls that Ganduje statement is coming just a day after the Emir of Kano blasted northern leaders and their approach to governance in the region.
Muhammadu Sanusi II, Emir of Kano, in his key note address during the opening ceremony of Kaduna state's investment programme titled 'Promoting Investment Amidst Economic Challenges' says northern Nigeria will be the poorest if the country is broken into components.
Below is the video of Emir Sanusi lamenting leadership in Nigeria