President Bola Tinubu has assured every Nigerian child of protection of their rights and privileges from all forms of molestation and abuse.
Dr Sani Idris, Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children’s Education, disclosed this while speaking at the Center for Quranic studies, Bayero University, Kano on Sunday.
Idris spoke during the second National Symposium on the Tsangaya system of education with the theme “Let us revive our Tsangaya system of education”.
He said that the era of beggars on Nigeria streets and roads is over, hence, the federal government is doing everything possible to give every child a life of hope, assurance and brighter future.
“Children are the future of every nation and as such, deserve to grow up in a happy, safe, healthy, productive and enabling environment that is conducive for learning and development to enable them to be psychologically and emotionally balanced so as to play strategic roles in years to come,” Idris said.
Also speaking, the Vice Chancellor, Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Sagir Abbas, thanked President Tinubu for creating an enabling environment for the upliftment of the lives of Nigerians, particularly children, women and the vulnerable in the society.
Abbas stressed the need for all out of school children to have the basics of life such as clothing, shelter, food and adequate medication.
“Parents and the community must also come together and organise a way of providing for out of school children, rather than leaving them at the mercy of their teachers,” he said.
Abbas said that the children must be stopped from begging on the street, as it is against the tenets of Islam, adding that Tsangaya schools should be sustained by inculcating good morals and giving the children intensive reading culture.
Prof Ahmed Murtala, Director, Centre for Quranic Studies, urged governments at all levels and parents to join hands with northern governments on how best to engage the children in skills acquisitions.
The Tsangaya school system was an Islamic-based educational system that existed for several centuries and had produced leaders, scholars, businessmen, and government functionaries, among others.
It has been the source of moral and educational training for Muslim societies in Nigeria.
