THE FORTUNE 300 ALMAJIRAI IN KADUNA

Three years ago, he was only 16 years old, with an allo in one hand to read the Qur’an, and with a bowl in the other, to beg for food. Today, he is a bonafide artisan, employing 10 others, earning a decent living in the same area that he and his employees used to beg in. How did that happen?

In 2000, I was appointed into the position of a Director of the new Centre for Technology Development of one of premier and the most prestigious higher institutions of learning in Nigeria. My primary assignment was the herculean task of bringing together the academia, the industry and Government to provide technological solutions to our econo-industrial challenges for national development.

Alhamdulillah I am very proud of the following three things: 1. We were able to do our best despite extremely limited funds such that we developed pilot plants for production of important products like shea butter, grains processing, tomato processing among others, including the technically-demanding medical oxygen. 2. We used the knowledge base of our staff to support industries around and beyond our host State to help solve production process challenges that saved them a lot of money without needing to employ expatriates or import solutions from abroad. 3. We engaged the biggest industrial park in northern Nigeria and supported it through training of their artisans (that raised the quality of their products and earned them globally-recognized certification) and provision of workshop and labs with state-of-art equipment for common-facility sharing, supported by Government in form of TETFund and NBTE.

However, as satisfying as these modest accomplishments are to us, nothing is more pleasing, exciting and ennobling to me like the stories of the 300+ almajirai and out-of-school youth that we rescued while I was in charge, including the 16-year-old in my first paragraph. And I intend to share with you, as briefly as I can, how we did it, in case you would be in a position to replicate or do better for the benefit of our people and our nation.

Like I said, the CTD was a new centre with big ambitions and very little resources. So as we struggled to raise funds for our technically-intensive work, our mandate was expanded beyond technological development to include human capacity development! Mercifully, to enable us, the management reached into its meagre resources and provided funding for the training of people that shall serve as Quality Assurance Assessors so we could qualify to provide the globally-recognised NSQ training that we aimed for.

Now while all these were going on, I was reflecting on the challenges of almajiri education in and around our host community. The pain you experience when you come across small, dirty and shoeless boys roaming about the community and begging for food cannot be overstated. And you are an individual so there is very little you can do. May be you can adopt one, but then you'll be leaving his friends and a thousand others in the same condition. And surely more will be shipped in from villages on the very next day! What can you do?

This was back in 2000 and there was no National Commission for Almajiri and Out of School Children Education. All we had were series of conferences by different groups over so many but not achieving much.

So when our QAAs qualified and were in the process of training artisans for NSQ, I approached our management with a proposal regarding the almajirai and other out-of-school youths that we had all over our host community. We suggested that our QAAs could design a basic skills acquisition training that should last 8 weeks with 4 weeks attachment at the industrial park.

The Rector jumped at the idea and, despite our meagre resources, facilitated the training of the first set from the meagre IGR that the system had. He said let us demonstrate it and that after the graduation of the first set, he was sure some philanthropists or NGOs would see merit in stepping in.

But then we had to get the buy in of the host community especially the alarammomi and the traditional leadership. We did that. In fact it was at the meeting with the alarammomi that we devised a formular that ensured that the almajirai did not lose anything in their religious studies quest.

We then got the Academic Board of our institution to approve the programme and to accept to award Skills Competency Certification to the graduates.

We ensured that there was no distraction during training in that the package covers the training staff, tools and equipment needed, the consumables, the PPEs for all trainees as well as breakfast and lunch feeding of the trainees during the programme.

We also provided starter packs for them to have a smooth take off as artisans after the training.

We then went ahead and agreed with the industrial park to accept the graduates and absorb them into the trade lines and activities to hone their skills and be exposed to the business craft.

With all things in place, we decided to start with a small number for the benefit of high tutor-trainee ratio. We took them aged 15 to 20 years. We then trained some in welding and fabrication, some in carpentry and joinery and some in plumbing installations. Later we added a few other trades.

One of the amazing findings of our trainers was how remarkably smart these children turned out to be. The learning was so easy for them and their enthusiasm was through the roof. Hausa was used to teach them and they were so proud of what they were becoming.

Now imagine my pride when I visited an office in Abuja last December, just when I was about to finish my term. I overheard a conversation at the reception of the man I was visiting. One visitor was saying to the other, "Ai mu a unguwar mu yanzu wallahi almajirai ne gatan mu. Su ne kafintoci, pulombobi, makanikai da sauransu. Wallahi duk matsalar da ta taso min, makarantar allo na ke zuwa. Ba ma rasa komai wai don lahadi ce. Kai Allah mun godewa Kadpoly." Loosely explained, he was telling his friend that the almajirai in their quarters were their treasure now. They were now their carpenters, plumbers, mechanics, etc. That even on Sundays, they could get any service. And then he thanked Kaduna Polytechnic - our institution!

I felt like I could trek back to Kaduna from Abuja out of pure joy. But I just smiled and thanked God.

The story I opened with, I heard it on Thursday during the graduation of the latest set. I was invited by the new Director as a guest. And when the Secretary of the Alarammomi stood up to drop words of appreciation from the community, he mentioned so many beautiful stories including that of the 16-year-old. I was overwhelmed with joy and gratitude to God, the management of Kaduna Polytechnic, the management of Old Panteka Market (the industrial park) and the NGOs that stepped in (Succor for Almajiri Initiative, AMG Foundation, etc) with funding for helping us to get here.

With 300 going on 400 fortunate youths that we helped to stand on their feet, I am confident that Fortune 300 status is attainable in the next few years for our amazing, talented amajirai. We can dream.

How easy it seems, with a little commitment and support from govt, private concerns and individuals, we could transform all our challenges into wealth.

So there, that's what I'm thinking about - a Nigeria that is self-sufficient, full of skilled youths with certification, and exporting gainful labour to the world. It is possible.