The North-East Development Commission NEDC, working with the Yobe state government, on Friday distributed essential non-food items to 38,000 vulnerable children in Tsangaya and Almajiri schools as part of a wider effort to modernise Islamic education in the state. The support included blankets and nylon mats to help students cope with the harsh harmattan season.
The initiative also introduced new solar-powered boreholes in the schools to ensure steady access to clean water. At the flag-off ceremony held at Tsangayar Malam Rabiu Mai Bataliya in Gujba local government area, the NEDC Managing Director, Mohammad Goni Alkali, explained the main purpose of the programme. Alkali, who was represented by the state Coordinator, Prof. Ibrahim Ali Abbas, said the aim was “to support the existing schools in order to improve their conditions, create a conducive environment for teaching and learning.”
He added that the larger objective was to gradually modernise the Almajiri education system so it can align with national development goals. The newly commissioned solar-powered borehole at the Gujba School was presented as an important infrastructure addition for the community.
According to Alkali, five boreholes had already been completed, and more were planned to meet the needs of schools across the state. In his remarks, Malam Rabiu Mai Bataliya thanked the NEDC for the intervention and promised that the items would be used for the purposes they were given.
