Nigeria, and the world, cannot achieve the SDGs by 2030 without resolving the Almajiri Child Rights Crisis.!

Being the Text of a Statement by Almajiri Child Right Advocates on the Second Annual Almajiri Child Rights Day 25 May 2019.

Today: the Almajiri Child Rights Initiative is Joined by child right advocates in Nigeria and across the world to mark the 2nd Annual “Almajiri Child Rights Day" to draw and focus attention to one of the world's most abused sets of children

Last May in marking the inaugural day: we pledged to engage critical stakeholders: especially actors and benefactors, Civil society, government at all levels, as well as the local and international community towards developing and implementing policy that offers a long term solution for returning dignity to the life of the #AlmajiriiChild Since then we have witnessed some level of change in the narrative and a National Child Destitution Bill at the 8th Assembly.

But our slow response belies the urgency of the crisis 11 years from now the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hope to have eliminated hunger ensured decent work for all, and achieved 11 more things aimed to #LeaveNoOneBehind. At our current  pace over 10 million Almajiri Children Will be part of those who have been failed by the rest of us. It is for this reason that the theme for 2019 is Almajiri Child Rights and the SDGs.

So how does the plight of Almajiri children specifically tie to the individual goals?

Goal 1 Poverty

Socially- disadvantaged communities are only able to chart a course for social mobility through education or improved incomes that support extended families. In the case of the Almajiri the absence of these two ingredients leads to the risk of multigenerational poverty.

Goal 2 Zero Hunger.

Food is a fundamental human right and a primary factor in the health and growth of children in their formative years. With millions of Almajiri children facing nutritional challenges that are aggravated by daily street begging and large numbers of them go to bed hungry, our path to ensuring zero hunger will surfer a false start.

Goal 3 Good Health and Wellbeing. The living conditions of Almajiri children leave most traumatized When they fall Sick, a significant number die from preventable diseases such as malaria due to lack of access to basic primary healthcare A business-as-usual trajectory Will continue to deprive an entire population of proper mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as basic care.

Goal 4 Quality Education.
There is global consensus regarding the importance of rights to equitable and quality education for every' child as license for a bright future Millions of Almajiri children are deemed a fair shot at basic education and the Possibilities it presents Whereas Almajiri children may carry  potentials for becoming world beating doctors, engineers and leaders, these Will never be achieved since they are educationally disadvantaged.

Goal 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
Almajiri  children have  in some the shabbiest conditions imaginable with Poor hygiene and Sanitation . and in lots of instances no access to clean drinking water Some are exposed to contaminated stream water where many get Infected With Water borne diseases.

Goal 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
The prospect of Nigeria reaping a demographic dividend for rapid economic mouth is largely dependent on quality education and relevant skillsets for children and Young adults. Again a business- as-usual trajectory for Almajiri Children will leave them Chasing Menial Jobs like Shoe 👟 shinning, wheelbarrow pushing and manual labour in an Everchanging global economy .Not only will the contribution of these incomes be negligible for National economic growth, but the jobs themselves face an Increasing threat from technology and automation.

Goal 10.  Reduced Inequality
Article 1 of the universal declaration of human rights states that every Human Bean  is born free and equal in right and Dignity . Yet: Almajiri children experience some of the worst forms of Marginalization and even  deprivation in recent history . Besides lack of access to education, healthcare and decent work, Almajiri children are also deprived of the opportunity to Participate in society.

Goal 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
Inequality and lack of social Justice breed violence and can undermine sustainable peace and strong institutions. Millions of Almajiri Children are exposed to abuse and Exploitation at very young ages They grow up not Knowing love, hope or a sense of Belonging  and Quickly Develop a feeling of Bean cheated as They understand their environments. This makes them malleable tools for crime and Violent Extremism.
Furthermore, a lack of accountability from parents, communities and government denies Almajiri children access to social Justice.

Today we are joined by child rights advocates in 15 states in Northern Nigeria and 4 countries across the world to demand increased investment in education public consciousness and support towards the innocent children caught in the Almajiri phenomenon.

We are also launching a campaign to collate 13.2 Million  signatures #13millionSignatures representing the estimated total number of out of school children in Nigeria,

We  call on The Nigerian Government to immediately set up a multi stakeholder task team to come up with a unified position on how to address the Social, , educational, nutritional, and security Situation of the #AlmajiriChildren Including a medium term enlightenment plan for Building consensus with actors and benefactors.

Members of the 9th Assembly of the Nigerian Legislatures to pick up where their predecessors left and pursue an all-encompassing  solution to Child destitution in Nigeria .
SDG advocates in Nigeria and our Friends  across the International community to add their Voice  to the Plight of the #AlmajiriiChild  by Joining the #13millionSignatures campaign .

With at least 8 of the 17 SDGs interconnected to the Plight of Almajiri Children, it Simply means that nowhere in the world are Child Right is Critical to the attainment of SDGs as Northern Nigeria It IS an Urgency driven by both time and demography  that Neither Nigeria  nor the world can afford to Miss if we are to meet our global targets by 2030.

Thank you.

Signed

Mohammed Sabo Keana Team Lead
Abubakar Abdullahi Board Member
Mr. Hayatudeen Head of Central Working Committee
 Yusuf Umar Usman Head of Operations
Sarah Dantsoho Head of Projects
Khadijah Shuaib Program Associate
Aisha Bindawa Kaduna State Coordinator
Hauwa Tango United Kingdom
Mohammed Abdullahi Yobe State Coordinator
 Tajuddeen Yahaya Kano State Coordinator
 Muhammad Abdullahi Yobe State Coordinator
Usman Tahir Niger State Coordinator
 Haruna Adamu Tsafe Zamfara State Coordinator
 Baba Mushemi  Lawan Borno State Coordinator
Usman Mohammed  Gombe State Coordinator
 Aliyu Yusuf Umar Jigawa State Coordinator
 Dr Ahmad Sam Bala Plateau State Coordinator
Sam Dantuni Bello Sokoto State Coordinator
Hamza Karta Katsina State Coordinator
 Abba Alum Bauchi State Coordinator
Nafisat Abubakar Zaki Kebbi State Coordinator
Mustapha Isa Bello Borno State CWC
Princess Zainab  Sokoto State CWC
Zurungwa Mohammed kabri Taraba State Coordinator.