E ISSN: 2583-049X
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International Journal of Advanced Multidisciplinary Research and Studies

Volume 2, Issue 6, 2022

Evaluation, Causes and Menace of Almajiri: A Case study of Bwari Area Council, Abuja-Nigeria



Author(s): Martin C Onukwuba, Emmanuella U Dominic

Abstract:

The research work “Evaluation, Causes and Menace of Almajiri: A Case study of Bwari Area Council, Abuja-Nigeria, investigates the origin and practice of Almajiri in Bwari, Abuja; it identifies the problems, prospects and proffer the solutions to the problems of Almajiri in Bwari, Abuja. The qualitative research adopts a case study method, using both primary and secondary sources in collecting data. Primary sources of data consist of In-depth interviews (IDI) and focused group discussions. The secondary source of data includes text books, publication, and relevant journals and articles. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. The study adopted two theories that will be used to better explain this topic. The Marxist perspective and the postcolonial theory. The research work reveals that, as a result of social and economic deprivations, some Almajiri end up becoming commercial errand boys, hewers of wood, or fetchers of water. The study further explains that the Almajiri are more vulnerable to abuse than other children. The findings reveal that the Almajiri family are faced with challenges of underfeeding and overcrowded conditions in their various schools. As a result of this, it makes them vulnerable to certain diseases. Overcrowding conditions expose them to different kinds of communicable diseases like cholera, tuberculosis, and various types of skin diseases. Finally, the findings reveal that the Almajiri are sometimes used by politicians as thugs and hoodlums to foment trouble, cause a riot, disrupt peace and achieve selfish political interests. In fact, it has been alleged that most of the terrorist attacks involving suicide bombings, setting places of worship ablaze, killing innocent souls and destroying property, were masterminded by jobless pupils of the Almajiri schools. This research established the fact that Almajiri are not professional beggars or one of the millions of out-of-school children, as some scholars referred to them. They are students of Qur’an schools. We have also noted that the Almajiri system of education has served the purpose of its creation in several communities in Northern Nigeria before now. The Almajiri system of education witnessed neglect over time and degenerated to the pupils' becoming street beggars and public nuisance. The research further concluded that the idea of street begging and roaming around in search of food should be abolished because it is against the teachings of Islam and it is against fundamental human rights.


Keywords: Alma Jiri, Islam, Fundamental Human Rights, Education, Children

Pages: 236-246

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