By Yunusa Isa Kumo
I recently came across a Facebook post by one of our senior comrades, Garba Ubale who on his way to Bauchi met some six almajiri boys trekking miles from Gombe to their base – Gadar Maiwa, a community in Ningi Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
The common sight of these young, sometimes barefooted children roaming our streets with plastic bowls in hand has become a hauntingly familiar silhouette of Northern Nigeria.
While some view the Almajiri system through the lens of ancient tradition, we must confront a harsh, modern reality: what was once a quest for Quranic knowledge has morphed into a crisis of systemic abandonment.
In today’s world, the notion that a parent can bring a life into existence only to cast it out for the world to “manage” is not just archaic—it is a clear moral failure.
Historically, the migration of children to far-off lands for Islamic education was born out of necessity. Today, that necessity no longer exists.
Virtually, every community in Northern Nigeria now possesses the infrastructure (the scholars) to teach Quranic and Islamic knowledge from the basics to the peak.
There is no longer a theological or practical justification for sending a child hundreds of miles away, when they can learn at the comfort of their own community, under the watchful eye of those who love them.
Children are more than just additions to a household; they are Amana — a sacred trust from God. Yet, we have normalized a habit of dodging this responsibility.
Islam does not recommend, nor does it encourage, the abandonment of one’s kin. The holy prophet of Islam Muhammad peace and blessings of Allah be upon him apparently stated that: “Every one of you is a shepherd and is responsible for his flock.”
When parents leverage “tradition” to excuse themselves from the cost of feeding, clothing, and sheltering their children, they aren’t just failing their families; they are undermining the fabric of society.
We can no longer ignore the dark underbelly of the Almajiri menace. In the current economic climate, these vulnerable children have become low-hanging fruits for predators, for exploitation.
The system is being hijacked for child trafficking, child labor, and extortion. This equally fuel insecurity. Without a home or a future, these children are easily recruited into banditry and terrorism camps, trading their bowls for bullets out of a desperate need to belong or survive.
Addressing this crisis requires more than just empathy; it requires a disciplined, multi-stakeholder approach.
✓ First, Parents: Parents Must accept that if you cannot provide for a child, you must reconsider the responsibility of bringing them into the world. Accountability starts at home.
✓ Religious Leaders: Islamic Scholars must use the pulpit to educate parents that their primary religious duty is the care of their immediate family, debunking the idea that abandonment is a form of piety.
✓ Authorities: Government must move beyond rhetoric. Agencies must intensify sensitization campaigns while creating an enabling economic environment so parents have the means to cater to their families.
✓ Society: The Community must stop enabling the system through casual alms that keep children on the street instead of in classrooms.
This Almajiri menace is not an unsolvable mystery; it is a choice we make every day we remain silent. For the peace and common good of all Nigerians, we must transition from a culture of abandonment to a culture of responsibility.
We owe it to these children — and to our collective future — to ensure that the only thing a child carries in their hand is a book, not a begging bowl.
Yunusa is a multimedia journalist from Gombe.