The governor of Borno State, Babagana Umara Zulum, has set up a “high-powered transformation committee” to address the challenges facing the Sangaya education system.

Also known as Almajiri, it is a traditional system of Islamic education practised in northern Nigeria.

RNI reporter Hadiza Dawud spoke to a teacher, asking him to comment on the transformation committee.

Mallam Muhammad Bashir said past administrations had tried to set up similar committees, but nothing fruitful had come from them.

He said the situation might change this time because “recently the pupils had received food, uniforms and books from the state government”.

In addition, teachers with Western education qualifications had been employed at most of the Sangaya schools in the state to help improve the quality of the education.

Mallam Muhammad said at first the pupils had disapproved of the plan to be taught in the Western way, but most of them had accepted the idea because it occurred at a time that did not interfere with normal Sangaya schooling.

He said Sangaya teachers received a monthly 5 000 naira allowance from the government.

Mallam Muhammad said that since the Boko Haram insurgency he had refused entrance to pupils from other states, adding that he had urged the parents of the pupils at his school to encourage Western-style education.

“The Boko Haram insurgency is a result of illiteracy. More education is needed. I call on others to adopt the plan [for Western education] to improve the knowledge of pupils at all schools,” he said.

He urged those who were on the transformation committee to be “God-fearing when they performed their duties”.