The Almajiri System of Learning in Northern Nigeria Current Trends Challenges and Solutions

The almajirai or Qur"anic school boarding students increasingly populate the urban centres of northern Nigeria; „a
development that has been accompanied by a steep decline in respect for the system" The almajirai are boys of
primary and junior secondary school age mostly from rural families. This network of schools is common in
northern parts of Nigeria and other parts of West Africa, notably Chad, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Senegal and
Niger. For most part of the day, the students are preoccupied with learning to read, write and memorize the Qur"an.
In between lessons, they engage in a plethora of different activities to secure their livelihoods, notable among which
is street begging. The paper is going discuss Historical and Conceptual Issues about Almajiri, Socio-Economic
Foundation of Almajiranci, Almajiranci as Safety Net and Coping Strategy, conclusion and recommendations.