The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, and an X user, Oluwa Bunmi, have clashed over the Almajiri crisis and the continued practice of street begging involving children in northern Nigeria.
The exchange followed a post by Bunmi on Friday, in which the X user questioned Atiku over his record in addressing the problem, particularly during his tenure as Nigeria’s vice president between 1999 and 2007.
The Almajiri system, involving children who are sent away from their homes to pursue Islamic education, has remained a longstanding social and educational concern in northern Nigeria, with some children ending up on the streets begging for food and money.
The issue has also featured prominently during election periods, with political leaders from the region frequently questioned over the continued prevalence of street begging among children and the failure to adequately address the factors behind it.
Bunmi tagged Atiku in a post on X, challenging the former vice president over the issue.
He said, “Have you ever addressed this, sir? You were VP for 8 years, these innocent children are in your region and you couldn’t do anything to stop this calamity.”
Responding, Atiku acknowledged the seriousness of the problem but defended his record on education and interventions targeting vulnerable children.
“I understand your concern, @Oluwabunmi63697. The sight of children begging on our streets should trouble every Nigerian,” Atiku said.
He subsequently pointed to the establishment of the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, Adamawa State, as one of his contributions to education and development in northern Nigeria.
“I established the American University of Nigeria as a practical investment in education and the development of the North,” he said.
According to Atiku, the decision to establish the university in Yola was deliberate, arguing that he could have chosen a more commercially advantageous location if profit had been his primary consideration.
“If profit had been my primary motivation, I could easily have located the university in Abuja or Lagos, where the commercial advantages would have been greater,” he said.
“I chose Yola because I wanted to invest in my people, create opportunities, and bring world-class education closer to a region that had long needed greater access and development.”
Atiku also disputed any suggestion that AUN was established as a personal or family asset, saying ownership had been transferred to the community.
“And as I have publicly stated before, this university is not my personal property or that of my family,” he said.
“I have already signed a deed of gift transferring it to the community. AUN belongs to the community it was established to serve.”
The former vice president further cited programmes implemented by the university to support vulnerable children, including Almajiri children.
According to him, AUN established the Feed and Read programme, which provides children with food while helping them acquire basic literacy and numeracy skills.
“Beyond its classrooms, AUN created the Feed and Read programme, providing vulnerable Almajiri children with daily meals while teaching them literacy and numeracy,” Atiku said.
He also highlighted the university’s Technology-Enhanced Learning for All initiative, which he said provided educational support to thousands of internally displaced children.
“Through its Technology-Enhanced Learning for All initiative, AUN also helped more than 20,000 internally displaced children learn to read through educational radio programmes,” he said.
Atiku further recalled AUN’s intervention following the 2014 abduction of schoolgirls from Chibok, Borno State.
He said the university provided scholarships to young women who escaped Boko Haram, enabling them to continue their education.
“Following the Chibok tragedy in 2014, seven years after I left office, AUN awarded scholarships to young women who had escaped Boko Haram, giving them an opportunity to rebuild their lives through education,” Atiku said.
The former vice president maintained that his position on the education of children remained unchanged, stressing that children should not be left to fend for themselves on the streets.
“My conviction remains simple: every child belongs in a classroom, not on the street with a begging bowl,” he said.
“Whether in government or outside it, I have always sought to turn that conviction into practical action.”