The Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has declared a state of emergency on education in the state after latest data indicate the state has about 989,234 out-of-school children. The governor made the announcement at an event in the government house where he also announced the employment of 5,632 teachers under the better education service delivery for all (BESDA) program, a world bank initiative aimed at increasing equitable access for out-of-school children in Nigeria and improving literacy in focus states.
“Our beloved State is witnessing an alarming proliferation of out-of-school children, (with the current figure standing at 989,234 children of both genders), a situation that threatens to rob an entire generation of their right to education and a brighter future.”
“The statistics are grim and the faces of these children, devoid of the promise of learning, haunt us as a collective failure,” he said.
The governor also lamented the state of the infrastructure in some of the schools in the state, saying, “Above 4.7Million pupils are sitting on bare floors to take lessons while about 400 schools have only one teacher for all classes subjects and all pupils.”
“Despite the decay of the sector, our administration since assumption of office have commence rehabilitation of schools and provision of instructional materials to ensure effective service delivery”
“At least 1,000 Academic and non-academic staff will be employed into tertiary institutions,” he said.
“Our schools, which should be sanctuaries of knowledge, discipline and growth, are in a deplorable state. Dilapidated infrastructure is a common sight—roofs caving in, walls crumbling, and classrooms that can no longer provide a safe and conducive learning environment.”
“A state of emergency, as declared today, is an extraordinary legal measure that allows us to take some bold steps to address these critical challenges swiftly and effectively. It is a call to action for all stakeholders—government, educators, parents, the private sector and the community at large—to unite and prioritize the revitalization of our education system,” governor Yusuf said.
“Our administration has commenced a total overhaul, focusing on academic and infrastructure development.
“A key initiative under this overhaul includes promoting girl-child education by rehabilitating and deploying over 70 luxurious buses to transport female students to secondary schools in metropolitan areas. This measure aims to improve access to education for girls and reduce the dropout rate.
“Despite the sector’s decay, we have begun rehabilitating schools and providing instructional materials to ensure effective service delivery,” the governor said.
He also announced some incentives for teachers in the state “we’ve set aside over 300 hundred million to be disburse to teachers as soft loan, geared towards boosting their morale for effective service delivery.”
