Education Minister Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa (FAMedS), CON, held a high-level bilateral meeting in Doha with the Minister of Education and Higher Education of the State of Qatar, Lolwah bint Rashid bin Mohammed Al Khater, to deepen cooperation on transforming Almajiri and out-of-school education in Nigeria. The meeting focused on strengthening inclusive learning systems and tackling the challenge of children who remain outside formal schooling.
Both ministers reviewed Nigeria’s national plan aimed at improving Almajiri and out-of-school education across the country. The discussions highlighted large-scale Mallam training, the upgrading of Tsangaya school infrastructure, and continued support for the 33 bilingual schools built by the Islamic Development Bank in 11 states. Dr. Alausa said Nigeria is committed to “reintegrating marginalized learners into quality education through better literacy, numeracy, vocational skills, and safer learning environments.”
During his visit, Dr. Alausa also met with Fahad Hamad Al-Sulaiti, Director-General of the Qatar Fund for Development, and Mohammed Saad Al-Kubaisi, CEO of Education Above All. The talks focused on building strategic partnerships to reduce educational exclusion, promote child protection, and expand access to modern and inclusive learning for vulnerable children. Officials expressed readiness to work with Nigeria on Mallam training, improving Tsangaya infrastructure, and strengthening the operations of bilingual schools to ensure long-term impact.
The Federal Ministry of Education will finalize and sign a Memorandum of Understanding with key Qatari institutions early next year to activate the partnership. Dr. Alausa reaffirmed Nigeria’s determination to collaborate closely with Qatar’s Ministry of Education, Education Above All, and the Qatar Fund for Development to deliver scalable solutions that support Almajiri and out-of-school children while contributing to national stability and future human capital development.
