The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has called for urgent and comprehensive reforms to end the suffering of millions of Nigerian children, particularly those trapped in the Almajiri system and forced into street begging.
This appeal was contained in a statement signed by CHRICED’s Program Communications Officer, Furera Isiaka, and distributed to newsmen on Tuesday.
According to the statement, CHRICED decried the systemic neglect of children in Northern Nigeria, describing their plight as a national emergency that demands immediate action.
“Children are not the problem; they are victims of failed policies, weak enforcement, and societal neglect,” the statement read.
CHRICED emphasized that this year’s Children’s Day must mark a turning point, where hollow promises give way to bold and lasting reforms that will address the root causes of child neglect in Nigeria.
The organisation lamented the current state of the Almajiri system, noting that it has drifted far from its original purpose of providing religious education and has instead become a pipeline for abuse and exploitation.
“Instead of receiving education and care, Almajiri children—some as young as three years old—are forced into the streets to beg, hawk, and engage in menial labour. They are exposed to abuse, trafficking, and unimaginable hardship,” CHRICED stated.
The organisation called for a complete overhaul of the Almajiri system by integrating formal education and vocational training into the program.
CHRICED also urged the government to ensure strict enforcement of regulations governing informal learning centres to safeguard the rights and welfare of all Nigerian children.
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