In a significant step towards tackling one of Nigeria’s most pressing educational challenges, the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has secured the commitment of the Qatar Foundation to partner with the Federal Government in reducing the nation’s out-of-school population.
The partnership, sealed during a high-level meeting between Mrs Tinubu and the Founder and Chairperson of the Qatar Foundation, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser Al-Missned, marks a bold and decisive move to address the alarming rate of out-of-school children in Nigeria — currently estimated at over 15 million, the highest in the world.
In a statement issued on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant to the First Lady on Media, Busola Kukoyi, the meeting focused on collaborative solutions to reform the Almajiri and out-of-school children education system.
Mrs Tinubu outlined the Federal Government’s transformative model designed to integrate Islamic and formal education while providing a safe, inclusive, and skills-oriented learning environment.
“These schools will host and care for the children in a secure learning setting. Each will feature a mosque for worship, facilities for skills acquisition, boarding accommodation for pupils, and residences for Imams and caregivers,” the First Lady said.
She emphasised that the initiative aims to deliver holistic education free from exploitation, empowering children with the knowledge and life skills required to thrive and contribute productively to society.
Recognising the magnitude of the challenge, Mrs Tinubu called for global collaboration and resource sharing.
“Given the scale of this crisis and the competing demands on national resources, Nigeria cannot confront it alone,” she noted. “We need visionary partners, and Her Highness embodies precisely the kind of forward-thinking leadership that can help us turn this vision into reality.”
The First Lady commended Sheikha Moza and the Qatar Foundation for their global educational impact, notably through the establishment of Qatar Education City, home to over 40 institutions including universities and the Qatar National Library.
> “Learning about your success in enrolling over 10 million marginalised children reinforces our conviction that transformative change is possible,” Mrs Tinubu added.
In response, Sheikha Moza pledged the Qatar Foundation’s active support for Nigeria’s education initiative, confirming plans to work closely with the Federal Ministry of Education to train teachers and school administrators and ensure sustainable implementation.
Earlier in her visit, Mrs Tinubu toured the Qatar Foundation headquarters, where she was received by its Chief Executive Officer, Yousif Al Na’am. She was also informed that 41 Nigerians have graduated from the Mohammed bin Khalifa University, a key institution under the Foundation.
Accompanying the First Lady were the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate; the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Ahmed; and the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for Almajiri and Out-of-School Children Education, Dr Muhammad Sani Idris.
This partnership signals a renewed and strategic push by Nigeria’s First Lady to ensure that every Nigerian child, regardless of background, has access to quality education and the opportunity to fulfil their potential.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.