Tijjani Mukaddas

Tijjani Mukaddas is a pioneering Nigerian educator whose work has transformed one of the nation’s most urgent crises: the out-of-school children emergency. With Nigeria home to more than 20 million out-of-school children – the largest figure globally – he has proven that teacher-led, community-driven solutions can deliver national change. Through the Transit School Initiative (TSI), which he founded, teaches in, and manages, his community has become the first in Nigeria to record zero out-of-school children, a milestone that has gained national and international recognition.

Growing up in Northern Nigeria, Tijjani witnessed how children who began in informal schools were easily left behind. This inspired him to pursue teaching as a mission of social transformation, beginning his career in 2003 at Haruna Primary School Hadejia before moving to Government Secondary School Jabi, Abuja. Alongside two decades of teaching, he advanced academically – earning a Diploma, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD in Science Education – aligning every stage of learning with his commitment to expand educational access. 

Confronted with overcrowded classrooms, poverty-driven dropouts, and a lack of resources, he responded with innovation rooted in grassroots community action. Inspired by Nigeria’s successful polio eradication strategy, he designed a house-to-house search method to identify children hidden in homes, markets, mechanic workshops, motor parks, and on the streets. He personally walked through communities persuading parents, guardians, and even child street traders to give education a chance. Many of these children were orphans who had lost their parents to terrorism, young people who fled conflict in the North, and children from low-income families who could not afford uniforms, books, transport, or school fees. To ensure their full participation, Tijjani donates 80% of his salary to support the Transit school.

The impact has been extraordinary. Hundreds of children have transitioned into formal schooling, while many others are now self-reliant artisans contributing to their families and communities. The Nigerian government adopted the TSI model, deploying him as a team lead in a national effort that identified over 850,000 out-of-school children and enrolled them into more than 113 transit schools across the country. His After-School Programme now serves over 900 junior and senior secondary students, while primary transit classes replicated nationwide reach more than 1,000,000 learners.  

Tijjani has earned significant recognition for his work. BBC Hausa, VOA Hausa, DW, Channels TV, TVC, and national newspapers have documented his efforts and personal sacrifices. He was named Best Teacher of the Year in GSS Jabi, received an Award of Excellence from the FCT Minister, and earned two prestigious international fellowships: the Humphrey Fellowship in the United States – where he received a certificate signed by the US President – and the Chevening Fellowship at Oxford CIS, where he continues refining his practice. He also serves as Special Assistant on secondment with the National Commission for Out-of-School Children under the Federal Ministry of Education, contributing to national policies addressing Nigeria’s education crisis. 

Beyond teaching, he champions community mobilisation, gender inclusion, climate change education, policy reform, and teacher development. His innovations – mobile learning, community-based vocational training, recorded practical lessons, and global citizenship education – have positioned him as a national thought leader and a model for scalable and sustainable education reform.  

Tijjani Mukaddas exemplifies the belief that local solutions can solve local problems – and that one teacher, guided by compassion, courage, and relentless hope, can transform an entire nation’s narrative.