How “Pulaaku” Moral Value Influence Nomadic Fulani Perception and Non-Participation in Educational Community Development in Ikara District, Kaduna, Nigeria

Abstract

Pastoral Fulani nomads are among the marginalized and educationally disadvantageous communities in Nigeria, and many African countries. Since education remained the mechanism for individual, community and national developments, such groups need to be given attention for the success of sustainable development goal in African nations. To achieve this, human, as well as sociocultural hindrances associated with their educational development need to be evaluated. Therefore, this study explore how pulaaku moral value influences the understanding and perception of the nomadic Fulani in education as the precipitating factor for non-participation in education in Ikara district. Two themes emerged as the findings; firstly Perception of the pastoral Fulani on education generally. Secondly factors precipitating non-participation, is presented into subthemes; strict adherence to pulaaku moral values, fear of fragmentation of social capital, lack of role model and parent ignorance. Thus, the study concluded that Fulani pastoral communities have positive perception on education, but it was evident that socio-cultural factors such as lacking role model with pulaaku principle, perception in fear of the system as a threat to social capital and ignorance influenced their low participation. Hence, there is the need for policymakers, government agencies and stakeholders to have an in-depth conceptual understanding of the Fulani values through funding ethnographic research project, and possibly integrate its ideas and those factors in the design of an acceptable nomadic education system particularly the pulaaku. Also, integrate community-based volunteer groups, purposively for advocacy and awareness will enhanced the group understanding and participation in educational community development.

Influence of Periodic Mobility of Nomadic Pastoralist Parents on Retention of Early Years Learners’ Education in Turkana East Sub County, Kenya

“…In Nigeria, Dahiru (2017) established that education among the nomads is wanting, more so among the Fulani people who are the major pastoral groups in the country. Failure to access education at an early stage has resulted to adult population that is not educated.…”

“…Education among the nomadic Fulani people of Nigeria is wanting as many children fail to access education at an early stage, resulting to increased uneducated adult population. Failure to access education by the nomads' children is enshrined traditions that there is no need for a child to go to school (Dahiru, 2017). In addition, the problem of retention of children in school in pastoralist communities has been caused by warring communities due to cattle rustling (Olaniyan & Yahaya, 2016).…”

Participatory Evaluation of Development Projects Contribution to Poverty Reduction in Northern Benin

“…The project's achievements with the "education for all" awareness campaigns have enabled the "Fulani" community to start sending their children to school. This community was traditionally hostile to children schooling, characterized by lack in basic literacy skills and access to basic education (Dahiru et al, 2017). However, there are still schoolage children who go to the fields and others who go to Koranic schools.…”