The Kebbi government has stepped up efforts to transform its Almajiri system of education by emulating the Indonesian model, Sani Aliyu, Commissioner for Religious Affairs, said.

The commissioner, who made this known on Sunday in an interview with journalists in Birnin Kebbi, said a state government delegation recently visited Indonesia to learn from their education system.

Mr Aliyu said, ”Governor Nasir Idris had recently led a delegation to Indonesia on the invitation of Zakkat World Conference.”

He added that the governor used the opportunity to strengthen partnerships with the Indonesian government in some useful sectors of the economy.

“We visited a lot of schools. Imagine we saw a school with about 15,000 pupils, and none of them were on the street begging for alms.

”The school is not being controlled 100 per cent by the government. It is being controlled by the community and the pupils are being taught different kinds of entrepreneurship and businesses.

”They work to maintain themselves, taking care of their feeding, accommodation, clothing and the rest,” Mr Aliyu said.

He said some pupils were enrolled in the system from primary school, while some from kindergarten to university, adding that some did not even know their parents.

”They were all well taken care of. Even the meal they served us was the same meal these children were eating.

“I am telling you this so that you will know that we were not in Indonesia for just a mere visit but to observe how their system is working for them and how we could tap for the best of our societal transformation,” Mr Aliyu added.

On whether Nigeria’s Muslim population contributed to the Almajiri challenge, the commissioner said, “Our population is never a challenge.

Mr Aliyu added, ”This is when compared to Indonesia with over 95 per cent population of Muslims. It is the largest populated Muslim country in the world.”

On the main essence of the visit, Zakkat, Mr Aliyu said they were in Indonesia at the invitation of the Zakkat World Conference and meeting.

He, however, lamented, ”Some sadists were saying that the governor was in Indonesia to collect Zakkat.”

The commissioner said the Kebbi governor was worried about the complaints of the state Zakkat Board that people were not giving out Zakkat.

NAN)