By Usman Usman Garba
Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has said that the remarkable progress recorded by Kano State in the education sector is not a coincidence but the result of deliberate policy choices, sustained investment and a firm commitment to transforming education.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Governor’s Spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, on Friday.
The Governor’s position was conveyed by his Technical Adviser on Education Reform, Haladu Muhammad, who represented him at the International Parliamentary Roundtable on Reading Revolution held at the House of Lords, Westminster, Parliament of the United Kingdom, on Thursday.
Governor Yusuf said his administration declared a state of emergency in the education sector immediately after assuming office because of its conviction that education remains the foundation for sustainable development and prosperity.
“It is not just a coincidence that Kano is currently leading in education reform. It is a deliberate policy choice of our administration. We have consistently maintained that education is our number one priority, and we are walking the talk,” the Governor said.
He explained that for three consecutive years, his administration has allocated about 30 per cent of the state’s annual budget to education, making Kano one of the highest investors in education in Nigeria and placing it well above the internationally recommended benchmark.
Governor Yusuf stated that his administration is aggressively addressing the twin challenges of teacher shortage and quality through sustained recruitment and capacity development.
“Within the first three years of our administration, we have recruited an additional 16,000 teachers to strengthen teaching and learning across our public schools. We are equally investing in continuous teacher training to improve the quality of education delivered in our classrooms,” he said.
The Governor further disclosed that his administration has designed and implemented a massive intervention to tackle the challenge of out-of-school children, while making significant investments in the construction, rehabilitation and expansion of school infrastructure across the state.
He added that the government has also introduced key policy reforms to support the rapid expansion of teacher professional development, promote girls’ education, and strengthen gender equality and equity in access to quality education.
Governor Yusuf noted that the international recognition being accorded to Kano’s education reforms is a validation of the administration’s strategic approach to rebuilding the sector and an encouragement to sustain the momentum.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ensuring that every child in Kano has access to quality education and that the state continues to serve as a model for education reform, not only in Nigeria but across Africa.
