The Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, in partnership with the MacArthur Foundation, has celebrated the graduation of 40 Almajiri children in Kaduna as part of the Almajiri Education Reforms and Skills Acquisition Training Project.

The initiative aims to reduce the number of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria while equipping the beneficiaries with practical skills for self-sustainability.

Haruna Muhammad Jumare, Director of Finance at the Sardauna Memorial Foundation, described the graduation as a significant step in the ongoing reform of the Almajiri education system, echoing the vision of the late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sardauna of Sokoto, who believed in education and skills development in transforming lives.

Malam Abbas Shehu, the Deputy Director of Planning in the Kaduna State Ministry of Education, revealed plans by the Kaduna State government to establish schools in four local government areas that will combine Islamic and Western education, providing employment opportunities for teachers in the process.

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Alhaji Ibrahim Lawal Kankia, the chairman of the occasion and representative of the Board of Trustees of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation, noted that 40 children had been trained in various skills, with five already enrolled in primary school.

He announced plans to select 20 of the graduates for further education at Kaduna Polytechnic, with additional efforts to empower the remaining beneficiaries and prevent them from returning to the streets.

Engineer Abubakar Gambo, Director General of the Sardauna Memorial Foundation, said the beneficiaries received training in tailoring, clothes designing, electrical work, and cap sewing.

Kole Shettima, Director of the MacArthur Foundation, emphasised the need for collective efforts from well-meaning northerners to support the initiative and drive positive transformation in the region.