Nigeria, Dec. 31 -- Governor Umar Namadi has declared that 'Almajiri' children in Jigawa State can no longer be classified as "out-of-school," stating that they now receive basic numeracy, literacy, and entrepreneurial training comparable to students in the conventional education sector.

Almajiri children are children often sent to study the quran during which they live with their teachers. However, many of them end up on the streets as beggers and also engage in petty crimes. It is a common practice in Jigawa and many states in northern Nigeria.

Speaking on Monday during an interaction with Tsangaya (Almajiri) school teachers, Mr Namadi outlined his administration's commitment to a structural overhaul of the traditional quranic educati...