National Policy for the Enhancement of Almajiri Education and Its Implementation Guidelines (2025)

What Is This Policy?

The National Policy for the Enhancement of Almajiri Education provides a comprehensive regulatory and operational framework for integrating Almajiri children and other out-of-school children into the Nigerian formal education system. Led by the National Commission for Almajiri Education and Out-of-School Children (NCAOOSC), the Policy establishes multi-modal, inclusive educational pathways that preserve the religious education aspirations of Almajiri families while equipping children with the literacy, numeracy, and vocational skills needed for economic self-sufficiency.

Who Does It Target?

An estimated 9.5 to 10 million Almajiri children in northern Nigeria who attend traditional Quranic schools (tsangayas and Islamiyyah schools) without access to formal education Nigeria's 17 million out-of-school children, of whom the largest concentration is in the North West and North East geopolitical zones Islamic school teachers (mallams), community leaders, and emirs whose cooperation is essential for successful programme adoption State Ministries of Education and SUBEBs in the 19 northern states responsible for infrastructure, teacher deployment, and programme monitoring

What Does It Aim to Achieve?

Integrate Quranic education with formal secular learning through a multi-modal approach that respects Islamic knowledge traditions while delivering recognised qualifications Eradicate street begging by the Almajiri by enabling children to live at home within structured boarding or community-based Islamic schools that receive government support Provide skill acquisition and entrepreneurship training as part of the Almajiri curriculum, equipping graduates with employable skills aligned to their geopolitical zone's economic activities Reduce illiteracy, poverty, delinquency, and vulnerability to recruitment by extremist groups in Nigeria's most educationally disadvantaged region

Key Features

Three-School Model: Model I: Quranic schools fully integrated into the formal system; Model II: Islamiyyah and Tahfeez boarding schools supported with government funding; Model III: existing Arabic schools rehabilitated with infrastructure grants and teacher training Accelerated Basic Education Programme: NCAOOSC delivers the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP) and Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) methodology to rapidly bring Almajiri learners to grade-level competency in literacy and numeracy Community-Based Schools: NCAOOSC operates learning centres across 19 northern states and the FCT; centres receive curriculum materials, trained facilitators, and UBEC-aligned learning support packages Vocational Integration: Skill acquisition in agriculture, animal husbandry, tailoring, leather works, and small-scale enterprise management is embedded in the Almajiri curriculum from junior secondary level Religious Leader Engagement: NCAOOSC's implementation strategy prioritises Emirate and Islamic council endorsement; mallams are trained as co-facilitators and receive modest government allowances UBEC Funding Mechanism: State Universal Basic Education Boards (SUBEBs) can access UBEC matching grants for Almajiri school construction, rehabilitation, and equipment under a dedicated Almajiri school grant window

Current Status

The policy is under consideration, as its designation is for 2025, indicating it is planned for future implementation.

Legal Framework

The National Policy for the Enhancement of Almajiri Education operates under the National Commission for Almajiri Education and Out-of-School Children (NCAOOSC) Act, the Compulsory, Free Universal Basic Education Act 2004, and the Child Rights Act 2003. It aligns with the National Policy on Education, Nigeria's Safe Schools Declaration, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.