Circumventing or Superimposing Poverty on the African Child? The Almajiri Syndrome in Northern

Moses t. AluaigBa Bayero University, Kano

Abstract This paper discusses the nature and problems associated with street begging by children as it exists today in virtually all states of Northern Nigeria. It contends that this practice in the area is antithetical to human capital development because of its proclivity to deprivation and abuse of children; inducing poverty and further exacerbating underdevelopment of the North. It suggests a sincere commitment by the northern state governments to funding education; a synergy between Qur’anic schools and Universal Basic Education; endorsement and domestication of the 2003 Child’s Rights Act by states of the north and the banning of itinerant scholars, migration of children and begging in the north as ways of eradicating begging among children in the region.

Introduction to give their children elementary moral education, “is it not equally mandatory on all Muslims to feed, cloth, cater, and Child abuse manifested by neglected and deprived provide shelter and personal security for their children, just children is a common debased phenomenon in Northern as it is to give them Islamic knowledge?” (Musa 2008: 1) Nigeria (Musa 2008; Alabe n.d.). Nigeria is the most Begging is totally opposed to Islamic injunctions, in short populous country in with over 148 million people “Islam enjoins man [and women] to work, to use his [or (Population Reference Bureau 2008); and accounts for the her] brain and hands in order to eke out a living for himself highest percentage of child births on the continent. In 1988, [herself]” (Alabe, n.d.:6). Paradoxically, mendicancy is most the population of children in Nigeria was 105.5 million prevalent in the Muslim dominated Northern Nigeria. This (United Nations 1990: 3) outstripping all other countries in phenomenon stimulates a lot of questions. What is the raison Africa; most of which suffer neglect and abuse leading to d’être for the persistence of the incidence of begging via the destitution. Some writers have attributed this social malady cult of Almajiranchi in Northern Nigeria? Why is the practice to Nigeria’s problems of mass poverty and maladministration widespread in the north and not other parts of Nigeria? In (Alemika et al. 2005: 10; Osiruemu 2007: 117; Shettima 2009). what ways does the practice render children vulnerable to the Child destitution in Northern Nigeria is evident via the waving truncheon of poverty and other social woes? Why have practice of begging by children. Apart from begging, another the State Governments and parents in Northern Nigeria been form of child abuse in Northern Nigeria is the fact that lethargic in addressing this unsavory practice? Is it that the children in the rural areas constitute the bulk of the labor states mostly affected lack the capacity and the political will force on farms (Robson 2004). In the case of begging, so to instigate a positive change to this nagging conduct? This many children ostensibly indulge in the act under the canopy paper addresses some of these questions by positing that the of being Almajirai. As demonstrated subsequently, an Almajiri rampant Almajiri syndrome in vogue in most northern states conventionally is expected to be educationally oriented in the in Nigeria today negates the drive towards development. basics of Islam in his [or her] early childhood to prepare him/ Rather than developing the capacities of children, the practice her for a chaste Muslim adulthood. But the common practice subjects them to neglect, abuse and exposes them to lurking in Northern Nigeria today has deviated from this norm, giving impoverishment. The method used in this paper is qualitative way to a mass of bowl-carrying children roaming the streets based on data obtained from documentary research derived in a dire strife to fend for themselves. This has prompted from available literature on the subject. Musa to pose a question that if it is obligatory for all Muslims

Circumventing or Superimposing Poverty on the African Child? | MOSES T. ALUAIGBA 19 Who is an Almajiri? without concerted efforts by both parents and government authorities to overhaul it. The excuse usually given for The denotation of an Almajiri is traceable to the origin of the persistence of the Almajiri syndrome derives from the the tradition that bred it. The word Almajiri is the corrupted religious sympathy mangled in the maxim of faith procreation. spelling of the Arabic word Almuhajir which means Nevertheless, Musa (2008: 1) has posed a salient question that somebody who migrates for the purpose of learning or “if it is Islamic that our children leave our environment in search for the sake of advocating Islamic knowledge. The ancient of knowledge, is it as well Islamic that they are subjected to culture of migration is tied to a system in which yearly, this terrible condition?” The problem obviously goes beyond people inhabiting a given neighborhood gather their male religion; other paradigms must be explored in explaining the children of school age usually after harvest and hand them sad retreat from the norm. There is another dimension to to a teacher (Mallam). The purpose is for the Mallam to teach the problem of Almajiranchi which is more pitiful. Most of the these children the basics of Islam through the Qur’anic children begging on the streets of the cities in the north are not schools where they are tutored how to read the Qur’an and necessarily genuine Almajirai in the true sense of undertaking write the Arabic alphabet. This is achieved through strict lessons in any Qur’anic school. The increasing number of discipline and living an austere way of life (Woman Magazine, adult beggars has aggravated the already dismal conditions n.d.). A pupil of any of these Qur’anic schools is known of destitution in the region. Some of the adult beggars as Almajiri (Almajirai plural). In order to escape domestic engage in the act on the excuse of physical disabilities while distractions, the Mallam may relocate his pupils to a distant majority of them have no discernable infirmity (Indabawa, area such as a city and camp them there. It is at this camp that 2000: 17). Ostensibly, according to Islamic doctrines “for any the Almajirai “learn self-reliance and discipline” as well as the person who is hail and hearty, it is forbidden ‘Haram’ to beg” essence of life (Winter, 1987:180). To support the Mallam and (Alabe, n.d.:6). But this sacred principle has been abandoned, his Almajirai, the local population provide accommodation which is why begging in the north has become common and left over food for pupils and their teacher. But because and sustained by the belief of the downtrodden poor that the food may not be enough, the Mallam on a daily basis their only source of survival rest with alms solicitation have to send out his students into the neighborhood to despite the debasement that accompany the sordid practice. solicit for more food which must be brought back to the camp Reasons for the incidence of Almajiranchi vary. Investigations for collective sharing. The main reason for compelling the conducted in Kano in 2008 for instance, revealed that Almajirai to beg is to let them experience and appreciate the poverty plays a unique role in the transformation of the hardship they are going to face in their lives. The practice of hitherto exclusive children affair into an adult ‘business’ in begging among Almajirai is therefore known as Almajiranchi. Northern Nigeria (Shuaibu, 2008: 1). Most childrens (both Qur’anic schools have been a medium of early childhood the fake and ‘genuine’ Almajirai on the streets) and adults Islamic education in Northern Nigeria since the 11th century flock into the cities from the villages is search of alms for (Bolujoko 2008: 2). Consequently, there has been the survival because of the acute and excruciating poverty in proliferation of Islamic schools in the region. As far back as the countryside. Another reason why the Almajiri system 1921 there were 30,411 Islamic schools in Northern Nigeria thrives is the opportunity it affords rural youth to acquire (Reichmuth 1989: 1), in 1973; over 20,000 Qur’anic schools Islamic knowledge and in the long run learn some trade or were established in the region (Damachi cited in Winters, skills which brightens their chances of making a living in the 1987: 197) and by 2006 over seven million male children were cities (Winter, 1987: 179). Unfortunately, most children hardly approximated to have attended the Qur’anic schools across complete the process leading to skill acquisition because the northern part of Nigeria (Tahir cited in Usman, 2008: they drop out in the process and end up as street baggers. 64). But as the years trickled, the Qur’anic school system has Similar to the poverty factor stated above is the view that been stagnated and polluted with unwholesome practices the cause of the flourishing Almajiranchi is because some because: families in the rural areas deliberately send their children to metropolitan areas to cater for themselves due to the inability The Almajiri system of education as practiced today of such families to bear the burden of providing for their in northern Nigeria is a completely bastardized large families (Subbarao; Mattimore and Plangemann 2001: system compared to the form and conditions 3). This factor is undoubtedly appropriate in an attempt to under which the system was operating…. During understand the Almajiri phenomenon in Northern Nigeria the pre-colonial era, begging was never involved where polygamy is pervasive. Many men with mean or no and certainly the pupils were not reduced to doing meaningful source of income marry three or four wives, with menial jobs before they could eat (Abdulqadir cited multiple births from these wives, they end up with fifteen to in Alabe, n.d.:4). twenty children or more which their economic prowess cannot shoulder. As a corollary, children from such families who suffer Typical Almajirai are identifiable by their awful state of deprivation seek alternative means of survival which may hygiene, unkempt tattered clothes, diseases-afflicted and only be found in the easily accessible ‘trade’ of street begging. ulcerated skins (Awefeso cited in Usman 2008, 67). There Thus, child abuse and neglect has continued unabated in is a general inertia towards Almajiranchi in the North since Northern Nigeria despite the fact that the monumental 1989 the practice has transpired for decades in its depleted form Convention on the Rights of the Child seeks to ensure that

20 CHILDHOOD IN AFRICA | Vol. 1. No. 1. 2009 ISSN 1948-6502, pp 19-24 “children under 18 years of age develop to their full potential tempting to interrogate why one hardly sees the children of free from hunger, want, neglect, exploitation and other local government chairmen, commissioners, state governors, abuses” (United Nations, 1990: 7). Startlingly, Nigeria ratified ministers and the monarchs from the north engaging in the convention on April 16, 1991 (United Nations Children’s Almajiranchi. The prevalence of begging in Northern Nigeria Fund 2007) but it is yet to be enforced. in whatever form is indisputably prompted by poverty. There is a functional correlation between education, poverty, child labor and begging (Indabawa 2000; Canagarajah and Thomas, The Almajiri Syndrome in Northern 2001; Osiruemu 2007). Lack of proper educational upbringing Nigeria of children is an invitation to their future impoverishment. The higher level of mass poverty in Norther Nigeria today (Ejembi There is no gainsaying that begging by children is et al. 2003; Sam, 2009; Ujah and Binniyat, 2008) compared prevalent in Northern Nigeria. The damaging impact of the to the southern part of Nigeria is not unconnected with the syndrome on the region was underscored by the Governor fact that formal education was introduced and embraced of Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu when he said the in the region many decades after Southern Nigeria had phenomenon discomfitures Northern Nigeria. In a tone of already accepted formal education as a way of life from the indictment, he questioned “why …we have endemic poverty missionaries. Given that Northern Nigeria currently has the in Muslim dominated settlements, when Allah has enjoined highest concentration of illiterate children in the world (Ujah the faithful to balance the search for the hereafter with the and Binniyat, 2008); premonition point to the probability search for this world?” (cited in Dike 2008: 2). The painful of future existence of high poverty rate in the region aspect of the pattern of begging in the north is that it is the unless drastic measures are taken to recoil the ugly trend. younger generation that stands to reap its venom-coated Begging among children in Northern Nigeria can as well end results by initiating them into a culture of dependence. be explained on sheer parental failure (Musa 2008). The To illustrate the massive engagement of children in polygamous practice ubiquitous in Northern Nigeria has Almajiranchi, a survey of 85,112 street beggars conducted warranted many people to bear children more than they can in 1992 in Kano, the most populous city in Northern Nigeria cater for. Sending some of these children to other towns and showed that 37,817 young children (i.e. 44.8%) comprised cities to ‘acquire education’ could be a source of economic the sample population studied (Auwalu cited in Indabawa, relief to most parents. In some cases, female children are sent 2000:17). Again, the National Council for the Welfare of on the streets to engage in petty trade in items like kola nut, Destitute (NCWD) in 2005 estimated that the number of groundnut, maize, and assorted condiments to augment the Almajirai in Northern Nigeria stood at seven million (Alabe, lean income of their families. Such girl children are exposed n.d.:5). It is indeed a tragedy for Northern Nigeria that a vast to countless vile social hazards like sexual abuse, rape, number of the region’s future human resource is wasted kidnapping etc. Also, the monstrous problem of corruption and depleted amidst the indolence of both religious and in Northern Nigeria as in other parts of the country, has government authorities in the region. Regrettably enough, worsened matters. Recent assessments show that corruption Northern Nigeria remains the most backward region is known to be pervasive in Nigeria (Canagarajah and in Nigeria with the highest poverty rate in the country. Thomas, 2001; Global Integrity Report 2008; Human Rights Alabe (n.d.) has attempted to explain the incident of child Watch 2008). Lack of transparency and accountability beggars in Northern Nigeria by arguing that the current among public office holders has culminated in the outright practice is due to the influence of colonialism on the embezzlement of hideous sums of public money meant orthodox form of Islamic education in the region. However, to improve social infrastructure. The result is unimaginable Alabe’s assertion is refutable. The conquest of the emirates wide scale poverty, squalor and deteriorating living standard of Northern Nigeria by the British was completed as far of the populace. This has in turn produced all manner of back as 1903 and by 1960, Nigeria was granted political societal ills inimical to stability in Nigeria including communal independence; guaranteeing reforms by the former three conflicts, unemployment, armed robbery, begging etc. regional governments with indigenous leadership. Therefore Few state governments in Northern Nigeria have made to attribute the present desolate state of children in Northern efforts (though feeble) at addressing the menace posed Nigeria in the 21st century to colonial impact is arriving by Almajiranchi. For example, after the Maitatsine riots of at a conclusion based on wrong premise. With close to 50 1984, the Government banned the migration of years of Nigeria’s existence as a political entity with more itinerant scholars from rural areas to cities (Bolujoko 2008: decentralization of power to the lower levels of government; 15), but it was momentary. The current governor of Jigawa if the state and local governments in the north have failed to State, Alhaji Sule Lamido has made strides in modernizing reform the practice of Almajiranchi then the cause definitely Qur’anic education in the state but the positive impact is yet cannot be attributed to colonialism. The problem resides with to be fully felt. The Kano State Government under Malam the political leadership in Northern Nigeria that is absorbed has introduced some strategies aimed at in self indulgence to the neglect of the ignorant poor addressing the problem of child street beggars. These include populace. Besides, it is the children of the underprivileged a pilot feeding scheme in three priority local government Hausa masses that are worse hit by the Almajiranchi plague areas, training of Islamiyya teachers, provision of agricultural (Winters 1987: 197; Usman 2008: 62). Otherwise it will be infrastructure (fertilizer, improved seeds, farm implements,

Circumventing or Superimposing Poverty on the African Child? | MOSES T. ALUAIGHA 21 cows etc) and skill development programs. These initiatives Almajirai have played negative roles during religious and have not yielded the desired results in these states because of ethnic conflicts in Northern Nigeria. From mere street weak and corrupt government institutions coupled with the beggars, these children do transform to street gangs known paucity of ardent political willpower. as Yandabas in Kano (Ya’u 2000). Similar violent inclined street gangs exist in other parts of Nigeria with variegated nomenclatures such as Area Boys in Lagos (Momoh 2000), The Almajiri Syndrome, Human Capital Egbesu Boys in Enugu (Oruwari 2006), Bakassi Boys in Port Development and Poverty Harcourt and environs (Baker 2002; Smith 2004). But what set Almajirai in Northern Nigeria apart is their predilection Human capital formation is a sin-qua-non to socio-economic to become handy recruits during periods of violent development (Bolujoko, 2008: 3) because of the matchless conflicts in the region. For instance, from 1980 to 1985, role personnel play in the development process. In Northern Northern Nigeria witnessed four main religious riots and Nigeria specifically and Nigeria in general, the drive towards according to Winters (1987: 197), the “participants in these human capital development by government is lethargic. This ‘riots’ [were] predominantly products of the Koranic school neglect can breed poverty in the population especially children. system of Northern Nigeria”. During the Maitatsine riots in Studies conducted by Helfer, McKinney and Kempe (1976) Kano 1980, Kaduna and Maiduguri 1982 and Yola 1984, the and Herrenkohl, Roy C. et al (1991) have revealed that the Almajirai were handy in fuelling the crises (Hiskett 1987). In neglect and abuse of children leaves an indelible mark on their the recent 2004 religious crisis in Kano city which has the lives because of their inability to contribute economically to highest concentration of Almajirai, the violence unleashed societal growth. This case is illustrated by the ordeal Almajirai on innocent residents was successful because the gangs experienced because of neglect, thus they are reduced to comprised mainly Almajirai (Human Rights Watch, 2005:60). plate washers, errand boys for wealthy families, luggage By serving as catalysts for destruction of lives and properties conveyors in markets. Under this circumstance, poverty will (Adebiyi 2008), the Almajirai in Northern Nigeria pose a major hardly evade the affected children even as adults because social security threat which must be curbed. Otherwise like “poverty breeds poverty. A poor individual or family has a the Madrassahs of Central Asia, the Almajirai, given their high probability of staying poor” (Osiruemu 2007: 117). This numbers, stands to metamorphose into potential terrorists in contention upholds Brooks-Gunn and Duncan’s (1997) thesis the region (Awofeso; Ritchie and Degeling 2003). Moreover, that children who live in extreme poverty for so many years are begging on the streets render these children vulnerable bound to suffer the worst outcomes in their lives. to traffickers. It exposes the children to all sorts of vile and Three categories of poverty have been identified by Ebigbo deviant behaviors and immoral acts because they interact (2002) including ill-tempered poverty, dependence poverty freely with people of low virtue like prostitutes, drug addicts and poverty of the mind. Among these, it is the dependence and gamblers. Again, their health is endangered since they poverty that Almajiranchi is bequeathing on many children. depend on leftover and at times rotten food for feeding. Logically the system recruits and orients the kids to depend on others for their subsistence. This is analogous to generational Suggestions transmission of poverty. If conventional education liberates the mind, equips a person with knowledge to be utilized The analysis above has shown that street begging by for his/her betterment, the unanswered question is; will children is an ominous reality in most parts in Northern poverty be circumvented or superimposed on the Almajirai Nigeria. To reverse the trend it is suggested that the state through the system of education that make the Almajirai governments in the north should sincerely be committed subservient? The tenacity of orthodox Islamic system of to the provision of functional education in the region. The educating children as pointed out above precluded begging 19 Northern Governors Forum should be used as a platform and was found in its resoluteness at indoctrinating into for mobilizing support for the channeling of resources to the Moslem folks religious dogmas anchored on morality the education sub-sector in the north. Similarly, all the and steadfastness. The limitation of the present system in 19 Northern State Governments must be cajoled by their Northern Nigeria is the hard fact that “…instead of educating forum to endorse and domesticate the Child’s Rights their pupils and giving them skills and knowledge necessary Act 2003 signed into law in Nigeria in September 2003 for functioning effectively in society as they used to, Koranic because the Act has provisions which says “the child’s best schools have deteriorated to the extent that many people interests shall remain paramount in all considerations” regard them as no more than a breeding ground for street and that a “child shall be given such protection and care beggars” (Okoye and Ya’u cited in Usman 2008: 64). It has as is necessary for its [his/her] well being, retaining the also been observed that the tacit resistance and non- right to survival and development….” By so doing, it receptiveness of Northern Nigeria to western education is a will be statutorily binding on the state governments to function of the deep rooted resistance of Islam to western protect children and foster their welfare in the region. education (Bolujoko 2008: 15; Winter 1987: 178-180). For Also, a synergy should be created between Qur’anic example, in 1976, Northern Nigeria opposed the introduction schools and Universal Basic Education (UBE) currently of Universal Primary Education (U.P.E.) (Winter 1987: 180) implemented in Nigeria. All elementary Islamic schools whereas Qur’anic schools were dominant in the region. including Islamiyya and other Qur’anic schools should

22 CHILDHOOD IN AFRICA | Vol. 1. No. 1. 2009 ISSN 1948-6502, pp 19-24 be converted into formal schools but with great bias in not be slain on the platform of lethargy on the part of Islamic curriculum and should have the status of awarding both parents and governments in the area. Doing so will certificates. Equally too, migration of children from one be tantamount to sowing a seed of impoverishment in the village or city to another in large number should be restricted children and wittingly or unwittingly superimposing pov- and begging by school age children should be banned erty on the younger generation as well as forfeiting human throughout the north. To improve funding of formal education capital development in the north and by extension, Nigeria. in the region, the billionaires strewn all over Northern Nigeria should, as a matter of community service, offer direct financial assistance to the needy children. This assistance Moses T. Aluaigba is a Political Scientist and a Research Fellow at the Cen- can be in form of establishing private scholarship schemes, tre for Democratic Research and Training, Mambayya House, Bayero Univer- education foundations and endowment funds to cater for sity, Kano, Nigeria. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Political Economy talented but poor children that abound in the region. and Development Studies at the University of Abuja, Nigeria. He was a Ful- Parents in the states where Almajiranchi is most prevalent bright Visiting Researcher at African Studies, Ohio University Athens 2008 – should, as a matter of social obligation, exhibit and assume 2009. His contributions on various areas of Political Economy are published more parental responsibility in raising their kids rather than as book chapters and as articles in national and international journals. His sending them to unknown areas to fend for themselves. areas of research interest include democracy, democratization in Nigeria, It is equally imperative for the Ulama (Islamic clergy) ethnic conflicts, conflict resolution and research methods. in Northern Nigeria to accelerate action on awareness creation among northerners particularly Moslems for better understanding of Islamic injunctions regarding References polygamy. This will further assist in educating the people to avoid unwarranted polygamous families that often Abdal-Ati, Hammudah. 1977. The family structure in Islam. Plains breed lots of children many fathers cannot cater for. The field, Indiana: American Trust Publication. Qur’anic doctrines as embedded in Qur’an 4:3 can be used by the clergy during sermons to cajole followers to be more Adebiyi, Busayo. 2008. Almajiri: A setback to our socio-economic development. http://www.punchng.com/Articl. rational when considering the number of wives to marry. aspx?theartic=Art200811023321648 (accessed January Similarly, Abdal-Ati (1977) has clearly espoused the nature of 23, 2009). permissible Islamic family structure which should be made known to people in Northern Nigeria. This measure will in Alabe, Musa. Not dated. Why we are where we are. http://www. the long-run, reduce the number of Almajirai on the streets gamji.com/article5000/NEWS5905.htm (accessed January in the north because people of the region will appreciate 23, 2009). that it is not the number of wives a person marries and the number of children one begets that matters but how justly Alemika, Etannibi E.O. et al 2005. Rights of the child in Nigeria. Lagos: they are treated and how well they are reared respectively. The Centre for Law Enforcement Education. Awofeso, Niyi; Ritchie, Jan and Degeling, Peter. 2003. 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