Jigawa State Government has approved the release of N869.6 million for the construction and rehabilitation of Tsangaya schools across the state.
Gatekeepers News reports that Commissioner for Information, Sagir Musa, announced this on Tuesday after the State Executive Council meeting in Dutse.
He noted that the funds would cover the renovation of additional structures in seven model Tsangaya schools, alongside the construction of 30 recitation halls and 30 reading spaces.
According to him, the initiative is aimed at ensuring that every state constituency benefits from at least one project, while also improving access to quality Islamic education.
Musa said, “It is designed to provide a more conducive learning environment for Almajiri pupils as part of Governor Umar Namadi’s commitment to integrate Tsangaya education into Jigawa’s human capital development agenda.”
The commissioner further disclosed that the council approved N1.54 billion as bursary allowances for 22,388 returning students of tertiary institutions within and outside Jigawa for the 2024/2025 academic session. The beneficiaries include 13,622 male and 8,766 female students across 83 institutions.
He added that the bursary programme is intended to expand access to education, reduce the financial strain on parents, and empower young people to achieve academic and professional success.
The Tsangaya model, a traditional Islamic education system where Almajiri pupils live with Qur’anic teachers to memorise the holy book, was once sustained by state funding and community support in pre-colonial Nigeria.
However, the rise of Western education reduced government backing. In recent years, efforts have been made to reform the system by integrating secular subjects with Qur’anic studies, as part of strategies to reduce the number of out-of-school children nationwide.
