“Aminu,” a 15 year-old boy originally from Kano State, is one of the thousands of Almajiris currently subsisting amidst the streets of Borno State. Aminu has spent much of his young life living in Maiduguri after being told, as an eight year-old, to follow his uncle to Maiduguri to join his older brothers at the Sangaya (Islamic) school run by a family friend. After seven years his Almajiri siblings and the head of the school essentially comprise his entire family, as both of his parents have long since passed away and there are few prospects for him to ever return to his former life.
Aminu’s daily routine as an Almajiri (learner) now involves waking up well before dawn to both recite the Quran, as well as free up as much time as possible to pursue work amongst the local community. His Quranic study comprises recitation for eight hours each day, often from 6-7am, 8-11am, 2-4pm, and again in the evening from 8-10pm. During his “free time” Aminu typically then serves as a houseboy in a neighborhood home for four hours per day, which he does in exchange for little more than a free meal, as well as going house-to-house begging for alms. On days when he and his brothers receive nothing, they rely on other Almajiris to share what has been gathered. When asked about the difference he sees between his life and that of other kids in Maiduguri Aminu shares humbly “They are at home with their parents and go to school, while as an Almajiri I go to work.” Aminu has wider aspirations, however, including to first pursue basic education alongside his Quranic recitation, but has as of yet not had the opportunity to enroll in formal schooling. His focus is instead almost exclusively organized around daily survival.
As is easy to imagine, food security is an enduring challenge for most Almajiris, as are shelter, hygiene, and medical care, which were all common concerns vocalized by Almajiris during interviews. On top of such daily fears is the further stress of an estimated 20-30% of Mallams (tutors) being, in the word of the Secretary of the Borno State Sangaya Schools Association, “unscrupulous.” The high number of Almajiris abused by their own Mallams is sadly not unique, with all Almajiris remaining highly vulnerable to numerous forms of exploitation. With the insurgency creating a more hostile atmosphere in and around Maiduguri Aminu adds that such exploitation has only increased as Almajiris are no longer seen in the same light; he and many of his peers are now routinely chased by authorities throughout Maiduguri for begging, as well as other more severe forms of “mistreatment.” As Unicef-Nigeria puts it, Almajiris deserve “special mention” due to their vulnerability to different forms of physical and psychological hazards, which will only increase as the increasing number of Almajiris continues to be targeted by both AOGs and politicians seeking to exploit their vulnerability.
Determining the scale of vulnerable Almajiris in Borno is not a simple proposition. There are an estimated 2,270 Mallams in Borno State currently hosting Almajiri students, with 1,270 registered with the state and a further 1,000 believed to be operating informally. With between 40 and 100 students per Mallam, roughly 90,800 – 227,000 Almajiris are conservatively presumed to be studying in Borno State. Yet local Almajiri authorities (and often Mallams themselves) assertively argue these numbers are too low, highlighting that such estimates rely on the assumption that 95% of Almajiris are male, with female Almajiris residing at home being notoriously difficult to estimate. The Secretary of the Borno State Sangaya Schools Association alternatively suggests that up to 500,000 Almajiris currently reside in Borno, which would place their number well in excess of the current number of boys enrolled in formal education within the state (389,454). Whether the low estimate of Almajiris (2% of the Borno population) or the high estimate (9%) is more accurate, such numbers demand engagement that has been, to date, sorely lacking.
Building from criticism, including the Sultan of Sokoto’s enduring refrain that contemporary Almajiri practice does not represent Islam and instead more closely mimics “hunger and poverty,” the Government of Nigeria attempted to integrate Sangaya schools and their Almajiri students within the government’s Universal Basic Education program as of 2012. In theory this requires state governments in the north of Nigeria to ensure that the day-to-day needs of the school and students are met, yet in reality little has been achieved. Formally in Borno, the 1,270 Mallams registered with the state each receive a stipend of N3,000 ($8.40) per month, which at its most generous interpretation roughly works out to N1.4 ($.004) per student per day to cover room, board, and educational costs. In actuality, however, it is the Almajiris that often support their more senior Mallam, with N100-200 ($.28-56) of alms connected by the students expected to be passed up to the tutor on a daily basis, while virtually no state-level support reaches the students themselves. As one educator who has spent his whole life teaching within this system put it, “The state has not contributed one piece of chalk to Almajiri schools in the entire state of Borno. And the politicians only at times support the construction of school buildings as they get 10% of the cost.” It is such low levels of assistance which explain why an estimated 1,000 Mallams operate independently of the Ministry of Religious Affairs as there is little tangible benefit to engaging the government (or non-governmental scheme). Instead the daily survival of the few hundred thousand Almajiris, as well as their common desire for vocational training and livelihood support, is almost exclusively addressed with empty alms bowls on the streets of Maiduguri.