Abuja: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has urged the modernisation of traditional Islamic schools as a strategy to combat the growing issues of terrorism and violent extremism in the sub-region. President of the ECOWAS Commission, Dr. Omar Touray, emphasized this initiative during the West African Islamic Conference on Security and Governance held in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Touray highlighted the importance of modernising and safeguarding Islamic schools, students, and teachers to address issues such as street begging, child abuse, and the vulnerability of children to radicalisation and recruitment by extremist groups. He stated that the current state of traditional Qur’anic schools is a focal point in the prevention of radicalisation and violent extremism.
Dr. Touray pointed out that millions of young people in the region are accommodated by these largely informal educational institutions, making them susceptible to recruitment by criminal and terrorist organizations. He stressed the need to transform these schools into formalized centers for learning and economic empowerment to combat this issue.
The conference aligns with ECOWAS’ Action Plan Against Terrorism, a regional initiative involving multiple stakeholders from both state and non-state institutions. Dr. Touray noted that the region’s youthful population necessitates efforts to channel their energies into positive activities to prevent extremism and tackle terrorism effectively.
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi II, expressed that the conference marks the beginning of a new era of cooperation in West Africa. He encouraged stakeholders to remain united in their efforts to achieve peace, stability, and prosperity for the region.
Dr. Mohamed Ibn Chambas, the African Union’s High Representative for ‘Silencing the Guns,’ revealed alarming statistics, including that over 40 million children in West and Central Africa are currently out of school, with terrorism-related deaths having risen by 10 percent. He underscored the conference’s objective to develop a non-kinetic action plan involving Islamic organizations to counter terrorism.
Participants from various international organizations, including the African Union, United Nations agencies, and Interpol, attended the conference organized by Jam’iyyatu Ansariddeen Attijjaniyya in collaboration with ECOWAS.