The Almajiri Child Rights Initiative (ACRI) has called on members of the 9th National Assembly to continue from where their predecessors stopped in promoting Almajiri child rights and to pursue an all encompassing solution to child destitution in Nigeria.

ACRI made the call in a statement signed by its Team Leader, Mr Sabo Keana, and various state coordinators made available to newsmen on Saturday in Sokoto.

It said Nigeria and the world at large needed to resolve Almajiri child right crises in order to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

The statement urged SDG advocates in Nigeria and across the international community to add their voices to the plight of the almajiri child.

It added that the call followed a meeting to commemorate the Second Annual Almajiri Child Right Day being marked on May 25.

“With at least 8 out of the 17 SDGs connected to the plight of Almajiri children, it simply means that they considered child rights as critical to the attainment of the SDGs in Northern Nigeria,” the statement noted.

ACRI described the prevailing situation as “an urgency driven by both time and democracy that neither Nigeria nor the world can afford to miss if we are to meet our global targets by 2030.”

“11 years from now, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) hope to have eliminated hunger, ensure decent work for all and achieved 15 more things aimed to leave no one behind.

“At our current rate, over 10 million Almajiri children will be part of those who have been failed by the rest of us,” it added.

It is for this reason that the theme for this year centered on Almajiri plights and the attainment of SDGs, the group said.

It therefore urged the Nigerian Government to immediately set up a multi-stakeholders’ task team to come up with a unified position on how to address the social, educational, nutritional and security
situation of the Almajiri child. (NAN)