‘Almajiri’ Inspired Documentary Released By Nigerian Filmmaker

Almajiri children

A documentary chronicling the plight of children in the Almajiri system has been released by a Nigerian filmmaker, Adeyeye Olatokunbo.

The Almajiri is an Islamic educational system practiced in northern Nigeria popularly associated with young children who beg on the streets of the country’s northern states.

Almajiri is derived from an Arabic word rendered “Al-Muhajirun” in English transliteration, meaning a person who leaves home in search of Islamic knowledge.

Olatokunbo speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday 6th September, said his discomfort with the state of the underage children led to his making the documentary.

The documentary titled Born Unlucky: The Almajiri System follows the story of a real-life Almajiri child who talks about his life and the conditions he lives in. It also features Islamic scholars and a Mallam enlightening the public on the religious undertone of the system.