Author: Auwalu Sani Salihu

FEW social issues in Northern Nigeria combine moral urgency, human suffering, and policy failure as starkly as the Almajiri education system. What began centuries ago as a respected model of Islamic learning has, in its contemporary form, become one of the region’s most visible symbols of structural neglect. Across major cities and rural communities, thousands of Almajiri children (Almajirai) roam the streets hungry, unsupervised, vulnerable, and excluded from meaningful participation in society. The persistence of this system has placed a heavy burden on Northern Nigeria. It has strained urban infrastructure, deepened cycles of poverty, fuelled insecurity, and exposed children to…

SUBSTANCE abuse has emerged as one of the most serious but insufficiently addressed public health and social challenges confronting Kano State today. What was once considered a marginal problem confined to a small segment of society has now become a widespread issue affecting adolescents, young adults, families, and communities across both urban and rural areas. The consequences extend far beyond individual health, touching on crime, insecurity, productivity loss, family breakdown, and increasing pressure on already stretched health and social systems. The Scale of the Problem Nigeria has one of the highest burdens of substance use in Africa. According to the…