Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State has said that the state government is targeting the remodelling of the Qur’anic education system and not banning it.
Tambuwal stated this on Saturday, at the closing of a two-day workshop for the adaptation of the Indonesian Pondok system into the Almajiri-Islamiyya educational system in the state.
He expressed government’s determination to ensure that the initiative was implemented to the letter, stressing that any recognisable success of the system would upgrade and improve the state’s educational system.
“ We are not aiming to ban the Almajiri qur’anic education system as some people have urged the Sokoto state government to emulate other states.
“ We are striving to provide reasonable solutions to the challenges and with the present initiative the time has come”, Tambuwal said.
He assured of full implementation of the suggestions made by resource persons and the design of a programme that would surely be a solution to the educational challenges, especially bridging the gap of out of school children.
In his remarks, Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, urged the Federal Government and its agencies, including the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and others, to consider making financial provisions to the Almajiri qur’anic educational system.
Abubakar noted that when the implementation of the initiative begins, the out of school children figure will drop as well as curtail those roaming the streets.
The Sultan urged others states to emulate Sokoto state on the initiative, in recognition of its importance and suitability to Nigerian’s system of education.
The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on National Social Investment Programmes, Mrs Maryam Uwais, expressed delight at the initiative as it was in line with the President’s efforts at reducing poverty and  empowering Nigerians.