[NEWS] From Almajiri to Graduate: Kano-Born Isa Completes University, Finishes NYSC

Not long ago, Ahmad Isa roamed the streets of Dutse, Jigawa State, as a barefoot almajiri in search of Qur’anic learning and daily survival. Today, the Kano-born youth is a university graduate and a former National Youth Service Corps member, completing a journey that has become a powerful example of hope, compassion, and shared national values.

Isa, from Gaya Local Government Area of Kano State, arrived in Dutse as a young child with little support. Like many almajiri children, life was demanding. He avoided street begging by running errands and working in homes to sustain himself, while attending Islamiyya classes before and after his daily tasks. His quiet perseverance caught the attention of Mr. Alan Maiyaki, a Federal Government civil servant from Edo State posted to Dutse, who saw in the boy an uncommon honesty and hunger for education.

Moved by these qualities, Maiyaki took a decisive step by enrolling Ahmad in primary school, setting him on a new path. He later explained that his action was shaped by his background, recalling that his mother spent 35 years as a public school teacher and impressed on him the value of education and service.

Years later, Ahmad proudly donned the NYSC uniform, serving in Zaria, Kaduna State. He received his certificate of national service on Thursday, December 18, 2025, marking the completion of a long journey from street life to national service.

His mother, Halima Isa, expressed deep gratitude, describing Ahmad as the first graduate in the family and her youngest child. She recalled that he lost his father at the age of two and was sent out early to acquire Islamic knowledge. She said she never imagined he would receive Western education, given that none of his siblings attended school.

Ahmad’s Islamic teacher, Malam Hassan Yalwawa, said the boy was brought to him at the age of five for Qur’anic studies. He described Ahmad’s achievement as proof that almajiri children can succeed academically when given guidance and opportunity, praising Maiyaki’s intervention as a true act of patriotism and national unity.

Beyond academics, Ahmad also developed vocational skills. He learned tailoring during his secondary school and university years and now runs a tailoring shop on Hakimi Street in Dutse, where he trains five apprentices.

Observers note that the story stands out not only for Ahmad’s rise from hardship to achievement, but for the human bond behind it: a Kano-born almajiri and an Edo-born civil servant connected by empathy, selflessness, and faith in a better Nigeria.