First Lady Tinubu Seeks Saudi Arabia's Help for Almajiri Education

On Thursday, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, the First Lady of Nigeria, urged Saudi Arabia to collaborate with Nigeria in reforming the education system for Almajiri and out-of-school children. During her meeting with Yousef Mohammed Al-Balawi, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, at the State House in Abuja, she expressed concerns that the lack of formal education for these groups poses a direct threat to national security.

Tinubu proposed a partnership that would integrate Islamic Arabic teachings with formal Western education, which she believes is essential for the Almajiri system. She stated, “Most of the insecurity challenges in the nation... if those particular group of children are not taken care of, I don’t know what might happen.” Ambassador Al-Balawi acknowledged the strong historical and cultural ties between the two nations and expressed optimism about enhancing economic cooperation.

The meeting also included the Chief of Staff at the Saudi Embassy, Mohammed Bukar.