The Federal Government has begun full recovery of the 157 model Almajiri schools built across the country under former President Goodluck Jonathan. This was confirmed by Nura Muhammad, spokesperson of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday. He described the move as a decisive step to revitalise and institutionalise Almajiri education in Nigeria.
According to Muhammad, the recovery process is already underway, and all the schools will be placed under the Commission’s control before rehabilitation begins. He explained that the renewed action follows the creation of a legally backed national body mandated to regulate all activities related to Almajiri education, something that was lacking during earlier reforms.
The spokesperson praised former President Jonathan for initiating the 157 model schools, calling the project “a noble and well-intentioned stride toward modernising the system”. However, he noted that the initiative faced some limitations, particularly poor engagement with Alarammas, the traditional Qur’anic teachers who play a central role in the education of Almajiri children.
“We must commend President Goodluck Jonathan for his remarkable efforts towards reforming Almajiri education, which led to the establishment of 157 model Almajiri schools across the country,” he said. “Although the initiative was noble and well-intentioned, it, however, faced several challenges. One major issue was the inability to adequately carry along the Alarammas during the policy implementation.”
Muhammad added that the programme only existed as an initiative under the Federal Ministry of Education without a strong framework to sustain it. He said this gap contributed to the failure of the project to achieve lasting impact.
He stressed that the establishment of the Commission, backed by law and supported by a new National Policy on Almajiri Education, has strengthened the momentum for reforms. “We are confident that, in due course, all negative practices associated with the system will be eliminated. These schools will soon be fully under our control and subsequently rehabilitated so they can serve the purpose for which they were originally established,” he stated.
In January 2025, the Ministry of Education publicly admitted that more than 80 per cent of the Jonathan-era schools had been abandoned or repurposed. Some were turned into political offices, stores or private facilities. Officials said this failure came from lack of legal ownership and weak coordination, a situation that triggered the mandate for nationwide recovery and rehabilitation.
In April, President Tinubu formally activated the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, granting it statutory powers to regulate Qur’anic learning and reclaim abandoned facilities.
The Commission revealed that its first directive was to take possession of the Jonathan-built schools because many states mismanaged them. This move followed a 2024 Act passed to institutionalise reform in Almajiri education.
