By Usman Usman Garba
The Kano State Government, in collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), in Nigeria and the Arewa Consultative Forum, has set to convene an education recovery conference on the 10th and 11th of July, 2024.
In a statement issued by the Special Advisor to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on Education, Alhaji Tajuddeen Gambo, and made available to The Triumph, highlighted that the conference would pay much attention to addressing the educational challenges in Kano State by featuring some thought leaders, political actors, diplomats, educators, private sector players, advocates and policymakers.
The conference theme: “Repositioning Education in Kano State: Navigating the Path to Excellence” has been designed to address critical challenges on education access and equity, chart a reform pathway and foster partnerships in transforming education in the state.
During the two-day event, stakeholders would work together to identify sustainable and scalable solutions that will reposition and improve the education sector in Kano State, ensuring sustainable access to quality education for all.
The education sector in Kano State, like others in many parts of Nigeria, faces critical issues that hinder its progress. Currently, there are over 9 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, and Kano State contributes significantly to this figure as the most populous northern state of Nigeria, hence, tackling challenges in Kano is essential to the ‘Education for Renewed Hope Agenda’.
Recall that, the Kano State Government has recently demonstrated a willingness to tackle educational challenges and, in June, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State declared a state of emergency in the education sector due to the significant decay in both educational quality and infrastructure.
“Our administration has commenced a total overhaul, focusing on academic and infrastructure development”, he said, by outlining a plan for the extensive renovation of all primary and junior secondary schools in the state, soft loans for teachers, initiatives to promote girl-child education and many other interventions.
The governor’s statement was followed by the approval of funds to the 44 local government areas in Kano for the renovation of classrooms and the construction of new ones across the state.
During the conference, there would be keynote speeches, lead paper presentations, and plenary and breakout sessions, all carefully structured to address different areas of challenges, using an interactive and inclusive approach.
