200 Almajiris Receive Start-Up Support in Nasarawa
Two hundred Almajiris in Nasarawa State have received start-up tools and financial assistance as part of efforts to promote self-reliance and improve their socio-economic well-being.
The empowerment programme, organised by the Union of Tsangaya Qur’anic Reciters, was unveiled at the Tsangaya Economic Summit held in Lafia under the theme, “Empowering Almajiris Through Financial Start-Ups.”
The beneficiaries received cobbler kits, nail-filing tools and a cash grant of five thousand naira each to enable them to establish small-scale businesses and become economically independent.
Speaking at the summit, the Nasarawa State Chairman of the Union, Gwani Ahmad Isa Gwani Na Yan Kaji, said the initiative was designed to complement Qur’anic education with practical economic empowerment.
He explained that the programme would provide Almajiris with legitimate means of livelihood after completing their Qur’anic studies, while reducing dependency and promoting the dignity of labour.
The Chairman of Lafia Local Government Council, Mohammed Haliru Arabo, commended the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention capable of making the beneficiaries productive and self-reliant.
He urged the beneficiaries to make judicious use of the support provided and use it to establish businesses that could become sustainable sources of income.
The Emir of Lafia and Chairman of the Nasarawa State Council of Chiefs, Justice Sidi Mohammed Bage, represented by the Makungujin Lafia, Alhaji Hassan Wakili, also commended the programme.
He encouraged the beneficiaries to remain committed to hard work, discipline and responsible living, stressing that the assistance would be meaningful only when properly utilised.
Describing vocational education as an important avenue for equipping young people with practical skills and creating sustainable opportunities for economic independence, the Nasarawa State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Aliyu Bello, pledged to facilitate vocational training for another one hundred Almajiris at the Wing Commander Abdullahi Ibrahim Vocational Training Centre.
The State APC Secretary, Mr. Yarus Dagusa, also donated funds on behalf of the party towards the empowerment programme.
Chairman of the Traders and Marketers Association, Nasarawa State, Alhaji Musa Aliyu Turaki Gamji, who chaired the event, called for sustained support for initiatives aimed at improving the welfare, skills and economic prospects of Almajiris.
The Union of Tsangaya Qur’anic Reciters operates under the motto, “Qur’anic Services for Community Development,” and is based in Lafia, Nasarawa State.
