From Almajiri to Drone Engineers: How 21 Former Street Children Became Nigeria’s Newest Tech Entrepreneurs*

*Abuja workshop to graduate pioneer set trained in drone assembly, device repairs and business on July 29*

Twenty-one children who once survived through street begging and informal Almajiri education will graduate next week as certified technology technicians, able to assemble drones, repair computers and launch their own businesses.

Organisers say the pilot is a new model for tackling Nigeria’s youth unemployment and insecurity.

The graduates are the pioneer beneficiaries of the Almajiri-to-Tech Initiative, established by Tim Akano, founder of the Almajiri-to-Tech Foundation and Managing Director of New Horizons System Solutions Limited. The graduation ceremony holds in Abuja on July 29.

Just months ago, many of the trainees had never used a computer, and some could not speak English. Today, they assemble drones and repair laptops, desktop computers, mobile phones, power banks, electric fans, microwave ovens and other electronics, after months of intensive practical training.

The programme combined technical education with entrepreneurship training, mentorship and character development. Participants also received daily meals, transportation support, learning materials, uniforms, and access to religious mentors throughout the training.

Unlike many vocational programmes that end with certificates, the initiative will equip outstanding graduates with professional work tools and start-up support to enable them earn income immediately. 

A business directory will also be launched to connect households and businesses with the graduates for computer and electronics repair services.

One graduate, Mohammed, arrived in Nigeria from Niger Republic without speaking English. During training, he learned the language well enough to communicate confidently with customers while repairing devices, according to organisers.

Another participant, Fatima, discovered a talent for poetry during the programme and wrote a poem celebrating New Horizons Nigeria, which organisers cited as evidence of broader personal development alongside technical skills.

The graduates will begin work from a fully equipped facility, the Almajiri Republic Workshop, in Abuja’s Wuse 2 district. The centre will serve as both a commercial repair workshop and a continuing training hub where they can strengthen technical skills while earning a living.

The initiative comes as Nigeria grapples with one of the world’s largest out-of-school child populations. Organisers estimate the country has about 30 million out-of-school and Almajiri children, many with limited access to education and employment.

Tim Akano said governments should invest more in skills development than relying solely on security measures to address poverty, migration and violent extremism.

*“You do not end migration by building higher walls. You do not defeat insecurity by relying only on military force. You solve these challenges by building hope where hopelessness exists, equipping young people with practical skills and creating opportunities where they live,”* Akano said.

The foundation argues that expanding similar technology training centres across Nigeria could transform vulnerable children into skilled workers and entrepreneurs, while reducing youth unemployment, poverty and insecurity.

The programme has attracted attention from policymakers, development partners and international media, including CNN, BBC and Al Jazeera, which have been invited to witness the graduation.

For Nigeria, where policymakers continue to search for long-term solutions to insecurity and unemployment, the pilot offers a different approach: investing in digital skills and entrepreneurship before vulnerable young people become trapped in cycles of poverty or crime.

If replicated at scale, organisers believe the model could turn millions of out-of-school children into productive participants in Nigeria’s digital economy, rather than leaving them on the margins of society.