AKINROPO AKINOLA 
While Part I of this article explored the plight of boys in southern Nigeria’s urban centers, where poverty and informal street economies normalize aggression as a cornerstone of masculinity identity as a result of the prevailing economic burden among others, coupled with absent male role models which fuels resentment and impulsivity and these boys learn early that aggression not vulnerability earns respect, a lesson reinforced when they witness fathers or uncles resolving conflicts through dominance.
The focus in this concluding part is on Northern Nigeria’s Almajiri system; a centuries-old Islamic educational tradition now synonymous with systemic neglect, behavioral disruptions, and intergenerational poverty. The Almajiri system, was once a revered pathway to religious scholarship, but has now devolved into a conduit for street begging, mental health crises, and vulnerability to extremism.
The Almajiri system historically originates from precolonial Islamic practices, where boys as young as three are sent to Qur’anic schools for mentorship under the guardianship of Ustadhs (teachers) to memorize the Qur’an. Historically, Ustadhs provided food, shelter, and moral guidance, supported by community donations and farming resources. However, colonial-era policies dismantled this support system, prioritizing Western education and leaving the traditional Islamic educational system underfunded. Ever since, the system has been polarized. Today, rapid urbanization and poverty have transformed Almajiri education into a survivalist ordeal and what we have now is street begging.
UNICEF reveals over 10 million Almajiri boys roam Northern Nigeria, begging for food and money due to inadequate institutional support. Abandonment became the order of the day, they became instruments in the hands of politicians, many are separated from families for years, deprived of parental affection, and socialized into hyper-independence, thus correlates with emotional detachment and aggression.
Comparative studies available to me revealed stark disparities in behavioral outcomes between Almajiri boys and their peers in formal schools. In 2017, a study in Zaria showed 57.7% of Almajiri boys had psychiatric disorders – e.g., depression, PTSD, and substance use compared to 37% of public school pupils. The Almajiris boys exhibit higher rates of aggression and hyperactivity, linked to chronic hunger, abuse, and exposure to street violence.
Over 66% of Almajiri boys use psychoactive substances like glue and tramadol to cope with trauma, a rate triple that of non-Almajiri peers.
I therefore have the following suggested interventions parent coaches can apply to teach stakeholders in parenting on how to eradicate the troubles with boys and make them accountable for themselves and the society
1. Intentional Government Policy to Firm Up Boys’ Mentorship
A robust, government-led mentorship policy is critical to addressing the socialization gaps that fuel disruptive behavior among boys. Such policies should mandate the creation of state-funded mentorship programs embedded within schools, religious institutions, and community centers, prioritizing regions with high rates of male disengagement. Lagos state is an excellent example of this. These programs would recruit and train male mentors, family life practitioners, teens coaches, teachers, artisans and professionals to provide boys with structured guidance on conflict resolution, emotional regulation, and career planning. For example, by engaging professionals in child care and parenting who will train prospective mentors in trauma-informed care, particularly for boys exposed to street violence or extremism. By institutionalizing mentorship as a pillar of national education policy, governments can disrupt cycles of toxic masculinity and reorient boys toward prosocial identities.
2. Mandatory Mentorship Programs for Boys by Public Office Holders
To bridge the trust deficit between boys and authority figures, public office holders from local councilors to national legislators to governors should be legally required to dedicate monthly hours to mentoring boys in their constituencies. Drawing from South Africa’s Men’s Parliament initiative, where male leaders mentor at-risk youth, this policy would pair boys with leaders for skill-building activities like job shadowing, civic engagement projects, or sports coaching. For instance, Lagos State could mandate that all elected officials sponsor quarterly leadership camps for street-connected boys, combining mentorship with vocational training in high-demand sectors like tech or renewable energy.
3. Parental Awareness Campaigns to Cultivate Leadership Roles from a Tender Age
Early socialization within families shapes boys’ propensity for disruptive behavior, making parental education an intentional reform. Nationwide campaigns should train parents, especially fathers, to nurture leadership skills like empathy, teamwork, and accountability in boys aged 3–10. Workshops could teach caregivers to replace punitive discipline with an educational approach of discipline that will help boys articulate feelings like anger or insecurity. In Kenya, similar programs under the ‘Boy Child Agenda’ reduced aggression by 40% in pilot communities.
4. Community-Driven Youth Centers Offering Creative and Athletic Outlets
To redirect boys’ energy from disruptive acts to constructive pursuits, communities should establish youth centers offering free access to sports, arts, and STEM programs. These centers, co-designed with boys’ input, would serve as safe spaces for channeling aggression into creativity e.g., boxing clubs paired with poetry slams in Kano, or coding boot-camps for former Almajiri boys in Northern states of Nigeria
Each intervention synergizes to address boys’ needs across ecosystems; home, school, community, and policy—while challenging the norms that equate masculinity with disruption.
