No fewer than 30 million Almajiri and 20 million out-of-school children are roaming about and in need of attention, a government official has said.

Muhammad Idris, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education (NCAOOSCE) disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja.

Speaking at the inauguration of an eight-man committee to reform the Almajiri education, Idris said the children needed a sense of belonging and direction in their lives.

“With the emergence of social vices, a lot of people are taking advantage of the vulnerability of Almajiri children.

“It is no longer acceptable that people will give birth to children and throw them into the streets for begging. This is about Nigeria and not a segment of the society.

“Almajiri now has various leadership bodies with over 2,000 associations, and it became difficult for the government to harness them.

“So, the government felt there was a need to look at this with the view to give them modern pedagogy.

“We must put all hands on deck to address this part of education that has been neglected for some time,” he said.

Idris, therefore, tasked the committee to bring the various Almajiri groups under one umbrella in such a way that responsible scholars would emerge among them.

He also tasked the committee to unify all “Tsangaya” (Almajiri Schools) associations in the country under one umbrella, thereby streamlining interactions and fostering effective collaboration with the NCAOOSCE.

Idris assured that, once the measures were put in place, 60 per cent of the Almajiri children would be integrated into the Tsangaya education system before the end of the administration.

He gave the committee three weeks to carry out its assignment.

Idris also disclosed that the commission was in talks with state governments to take over the integrated Almajiri schools built by the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), under former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Responding, the Chairman of the committee, Sheik Sayyadi Alqasim, pledged the commitment of the members to deliver on their task.

Alqasim thanked the government for finding them worthy of the job and pledged timely and efficient delivery of the task.

NAN