A community in Jigawa State has expelled a religious cleric who preached against Western education and discouraged the enrollment of children in conventional schools.
Ado Yakubu, a member of the Jigawa State House of Assembly representing the Gwaram constituency, revealed the expulsion during an event organized by the Jigawa State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in collaboration with UNICEF and supported by the European Union (EU).
Mr. Yakubu stated that traditional leaders in his community took the step after the cleric was found to be discouraging locals from sending their children to school.
He explained, “We engaged him in discussions with traditional leaders and found that his perspective on Western education was misleading. As he was not an indigene of the town and not a partner in progress, we decided to expel him.”
The lawmaker highlighted the need for a collaborative effort to address the issue of out-of-school children. He noted that various obstacles hinder enrollment, including inter-community rivalries, lack of schools, personal grudges between families and village heads, and the daily chores of children, such as fetching water for their households.
Mr. Yakubu added that they had identified 43 villages in Gwaram Local Government Area with high numbers of out-of-school children and were working to resolve these challenges. He emphasized efforts to re-engage the nomadic community and bring their children back to school.
Haruna Musa, the chairperson of SUBEB, acknowledged the state’s efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children, including engaging mothers’ associations to monitor learning progress. However, he lamented the lack of commitment from some parents toward their children’s education.
Mr. Musa also noted that Governor Umar Namadi had made significant strides in improving education by employing 3,233 teachers in the first year of his administration, with plans to hire an additional 5,000 teachers by 2025.
UNICEF’s education specialist, Muntaka Mohammed, stressed the importance of these initiatives, noting that Jigawa ranks eighth in the country for out-of-school children. He commended the state’s investment in education, emphasizing that every child has the right to education.
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