The Advancing Children’s Rights Initiative (ACRI), formerly known as the Almajiri Child Rights Initiative, is working to enroll 10,000 out-of-school children into formal education, its founder, Mr. Mohammad Keana, has said.
Keana, in an interview with reporters on Wednesday in Abuja, stressed the organizations commitment to supporting and educating vulnerable Almajiri children and integrating them into mainstream schools, while promoting literacy, numeracy and social inclusion across communities.
He said the initiative, conceived in 2019 during a United Nations programme marking a decade of action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), aims to ensure access to quality education and close learning gaps for the most marginalized children by 2030.
“Nigeria currently has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children globally, a challenge ACRI seeks to address through advocacy, community engagement and partnerships with government, NGOs and local stakeholders to deliver sustainable results,” he said.
Keana explained that the programme had already recorded significant progress, especially in Abuja and Katsina, where enrolled children now attend nearby primary schools while continuing lessons at Almajiri centres, helping to foster social integration and equal learning opportunities.
“Since 2020, early beneficiaries have advanced through primary school levels, demonstrating the effectiveness of combining formal education with community-based support. This approach ensures children not only learn but remain in school,” he said.
He added that in 2021, ACRI partnered with the Kaduna State Government, the Polish Embassy and local communities to build a three-block classroom facility, which now provides education for more than 600 children, showcasing the transformational impact of collaborative efforts.
Keana noted that community philanthropy remained central to ACRI’s strategy, enabling local residents to sponsor children’s education directly, reducing reliance on international donors and promoting equality between privileged and disadvantaged pupils.
Looking ahead, he said the organization planned to pilot a free school-fee programme in one community in 2026, to strengthen literacy and numeracy support systems while advocating for full enforcement of children’s right to education.
He emphasized that school fees, hidden learning costs and limited access to materials remained major barriers, stressing that ACRI’s community-driven model was vital to ensuring all children, especially Almajiris, had the opportunity to succeed academically.
