Almajiranci syndrome: Kano Emirate Council proposes family law to address menace 

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The Kano Emirate Council under the leadership of Emir of Kano His Royal Highness Muhammadu Sanusi II has proposed a new family law to address the rising cases of divorce, girl-child marriage and almajiranci in the state. The bill establishing the proposed law has already been forwarded to the Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje, for onward transmission to the Kano State House of Assembly, for passage into law.

Dr Bashir Ibrahim Mohammed, Chair of the Kano State Emirate Council Committee on Health and Human Development (KECCoHD), disclosed this at a recent conference organized in Kaduna by KECCoHD, in collaboration with the development ‎Research and Projects Centre (dRPC).

He said it took the Emirate and other stakeholders two years to draft the 218 pages-bill that would establish the law adding that, if passed into law, it would help address issues such as abuse of marriage, girl-child marriage as well as the almajiranchi menace.

“Yes, there is a proposed family law by his Highness the Emir of Kano Muhammadu Sanusi II, which has been sent to the state governor to forward to the State Assembly. This law protects every aspect of marriage in Islam under Shari’ah, for instance, criteria are given for what kind of man should get married and for the girls, the minimum age they could get married,” he said.

He also commended the federal government for its move to address the Almajiri syndrome in northern Nigeria.

Similarly, another traditional titleholder from Kano, Alhaji Yahaya Inuwa Abbas, in his remarks urged parents to ensure their daughters attend health training institutions so as to become health workers, which he said would make them more useful to their communities.