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Says Islam does not permit begging
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From Ola Muhammad, Birnin Kebbi
The Sultan of Sokoto and President of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar III, has urged stakeholders in Nigeria to enrol children roaming the streets in formal schools, saying that Islam does not permit begging.
The Sultan stated this in Argungu during the takeover of the Argungu Orphanage Home and the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sultan Foundation for Peace and Development (SFPD) by the Kebbi State Government to tackle the challenge of out-of-school children in the country.
Abubakar, who is Grand Patron and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of SFPD, said the visit to Argungu underscored the importance attached to the welfare and future of children.
He expressed concern over the involvement of children in street begging and stressed the need to enrol them in schools.
“We don’t want to see our children begging. Islam does not permit begging. Taking them off the streets and sending them to school is very important,” he said.
The Sultan commended the anonymous donor, the state government and other contributors for establishing and sustaining the orphanage.
Earlier, the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Muhammad Samaila Mera, who is also the Coordinator of SFPD, said the three programmes were designed to address critical social and educational challenges in the state and the country.
He said the orphanage was built by an anonymous philanthropist from Argungu Emirate and handed over almost three years ago to Mar’atussaliha, a local non-governmental organisation under the Emir’s patronage.
“The facility has since been run on contributions from concerned individuals, particularly the monthly N1 million donation by the governor’s wife,” he said.
Mera said 150 Qur’anic schools selected from the four emirates of Kebbi State, which participated in the Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) programme, would benefit from the skills acquisition.
He said each school would receive three sets of vocational training equipment for carpentry, tailoring and shoemaking.
“Three pupils from each school will be trained in the trades to serve as trainers,” he added.
Mera said the programme would involve the distribution of 450 vocational training tools and the training of 450 pupils.
He said the UBEC-SFPD Advancing Basic Education Partnership Programme (AGE) was designed to improve access to basic education and reduce the number of out-of-school children through traditional and religious institutions.
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He said the initiative, begun in June 2025, was adopted by a joint committee in September 2025, leading to the signing of the UBEC-SFPD MoU on 4 November.
He said the programme would initially be implemented in Adamawa, Katsina, Sokoto and Osun states to reflect Nigeria’s regional diversity and strengthen educational inclusion.
While taking over the Argungu Orphanage Home and launching a skills acquisition programme for 150 Qur’anic schools, Kebbi State Governor Dr Nasir Idris, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator Umar Abubakar Tafida, described the initiatives as milestones in efforts to improve the lives of orphans and less privileged children.
Idris thanked SFPD, the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and Nasara Foundation for their commitment to the welfare and education of vulnerable children.
He commended his wife, Hajiya Zainab Nasare-Idris, for initiating the programme and sustaining the orphanage with a monthly contribution of N1 million over the past three years.
According to him, the formal transfer of the facility will ensure its management in line with relevant laws and regulations.
“The transition will guarantee adequate security, professional care, proper supervision, sustainable funding and protection of the rights and dignity of the children,” he said.
The governor also acknowledged the contributions of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the Emir of Argungu, Alhaji Samaila Muhammad-Mera.
The Executive Secretary of UBEC, Hajiya Aisha Garba, represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary, Dr Abdul-Razak Akinyemi, described the handover as an important step towards improving the welfare of vulnerable children.
She said the commission was committed to returning out-of-school children to classrooms, adding that basic education would give them a foundation to pursue different opportunities in life.
She reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment, under President Bola Tinubu, to improving basic education and said UBEC was ready to support the state.
The Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri Education and Out-of-School Children (NCAOOSCE), Dr Muhammad Sani-Idris, represented by a Director, Nasir Abdulmalik, welcomed the skills initiative.
He said vocational training was part of the commission’s mandate and commended the Emir for promoting skills acquisition among Qur’anic school pupils.
In her remarks, Hajiya Nasare-Idris urged the public to show compassion and support for orphans, saying caring for vulnerable children was a collective responsibility.
She called for sustained commitment to their welfare, stressing the need to provide them with care, protection and opportunities to become productive members of society.
