The Katsina State Bureau of Statistics, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has commenced a statewide Almajiri and Islamiyya School Census aimed at reforming traditional education through evidence-based planning and improved policy coordination.
The exercise was inaugurated on Saturday in Katsina and includes the training of 200 enumerators to collect comprehensive data on Almajiri and Islamiyya schools across all local government areas of the state.
Governor Dikko Radda described the census as a critical intervention to promote social justice, inclusive development and informed governance, while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to structured and sustainable reforms that respect religious and cultural heritage.
Represented by his Adviser on Special Duties, Dr. Tasi’u Dandagoro, the governor noted that the Almajiri system remains deeply rooted in Katsina’s history, having contributed significantly to moral discipline and religious knowledge despite changing social realities and modern pressures.
Radda recalled Katsina’s long-standing reputation as a centre of Islamic scholarship, symbolised by the historic Gobarau Minaret, and noted that many leaders and technocrats emerged from the traditional Almajiri system, popularly known as Makarantar Allo.
He, however, acknowledged that rapid social change and modernisation have weakened traditional support structures, making the census a strategic step toward generating reliable data to guide targeted reforms and education planning across the state.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Malik Anas, described the exercise as critical to inclusive development and child protection, noting that credible data would enhance planning and strengthen policy interventions to benefit learners, teachers and communities.
The Statistician-General of the state, Prof. Saifullahi Sani, said the census would create a comprehensive database on enrolment, teachers, infrastructure and pupils’ livelihoods, adding that it would strengthen Qur’anic education and ensure that no child is left behind in the state.