Over 11,000 Almajiri children that were identified in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, will be enrolled in several basic education facilities at the next academic calendar in September.

Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, who announced the development in Abuja, yesterday, said the move would further pull many children off the street back to the school, thus reducing the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

The minister said the steady move to pull children off the street is a key part of the education sector roadmap of the government, adding that President Bola Tinubu had directed the Ministry to ensure a significant drop in the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria.

There is an indication that the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-school Children, and the FCT Universal Basic Education Board, have been contacted to assist in the implementation of the programmes.

The minister had at the recent quarterly citizens and stakeholders’ engagement on Nigerian education sector ministerial deliverables in Abuja, in April, disclosed that out-of-school children had reduced by two million from hitherto over 10 million.

He said the two million children who are mostly Almajiri children were lifted from the street and enrolled in basic schools, including Arabic literacy programmes, to acquire basic education, and vocational training.

He noted that the reduction of out-of-school children in Nigeria was one of the major focus of the current administration, giving assurances that before the end of the year, many more out-of-school children would be brought back to acquire learning and skills.

“We have developed the guidelines and training manuals for the implementation of inclusive basic education in Nigeria. These have increased access, enrolment and retention completion of both basic, secondary and tertiary school levels.”

The minister also revealed that 70,674 teachers and non-teaching staff from across all levels of academic and non-academic training institutes were trained; 2,122 students were awarded Nigerian scholarship, while 2,889 students studying abroad benefitted from bursary awards among other scholarships.

He said the mechanism established by the ministry for inter-governmental relations had helped in building public private partnerships, and brought about an increment in school enrolment, transition and completion for learners, especially those with disabilities.