Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to support efforts to reform the country’s Almajiri education system, warning that millions of out-of-school children remain vulnerable to poverty, radicalisation and criminal recruitment if urgent action is not taken.
Mrs Tinubu made the appeal on Thursday while receiving Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Yousef Mohammed Al-Balawi, at the State House in Abuja. The meeting focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, with education emerging as one of the key areas of interest.
The First Lady proposed a partnership that would integrate traditional Islamic education with formal Western education and vocational training, allowing Almajiri children to retain their religious identity while acquiring skills needed for modern society.
“I work with women and vulnerable children in society. My heart goes out to the Almajiri children up North. I believe they need better care,” she said.
She warned that Nigeria’s security challenges could worsen if millions of children remain outside the formal education system.
“Most of the insecurity challenges in the nation, if those particular group of children are not taken care of, I don’t know what might happen. I believe we can still start to give them formal education. If we are able to do that, the future of Nigeria will be well secured,” Mrs Tinubu added.
She said Saudi Arabia was well positioned to support the initiative because of the long-standing religious, cultural and diplomatic relationship between both countries.
According to her, combining Qur’anic education with formal academic learning would preserve the original values of the Almajiri system while creating better opportunities for affected children.
Responding, Ambassador Yousef Mohammed Al-Balawi reaffirmed Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strengthening relations with Nigeria.
“Our countries have a strong relationship. Our nations share a lot of things—religion, culture—and there is enormous potential to improve our relationship and get it back in shape. Our nations have strong common ambitions to improve our economies,” the envoy said.
The ambassador also expressed satisfaction with the cooperation he has received since arriving in Nigeria and said continued engagement between both governments would further strengthen bilateral ties.
The Almajiri system has existed in Northern Nigeria for centuries as a respected Islamic educational tradition in which children study under Islamic scholars. While it was historically supported by communities, years of economic and social challenges have left many pupils without adequate care, formal education or vocational opportunities.
Nigeria remains home to one of the world’s largest populations of out-of-school children, with experts warning that prolonged educational exclusion increases vulnerability to poverty, crime and violent extremism.
Successive governments have introduced reforms aimed at integrating Almajiri schools into the formal education system, but implementation has remained uneven. The First Lady’s latest appeal highlights renewed efforts to seek international partnerships capable of supporting lasting reforms to improve education and strengthen national security.
