By Hussaini Ibrahim Sulaiman
The Kano State Universal Basic Education Board has dismissed claims that persons with disabilities were excluded from the ongoing teachers’ recruitment exercise in the state.
The board described the allegation as false and misleading.
SUBEB stated this in a rejoinder issued on Monday by its Director of Corporate Communications, Balarabe Danlami Jazuli, in response to a statement released by the Kano State Initiative for Persons with Special Needs on January 3, 2026.
Jazuli said the board had never excluded persons with disabilities from any recruitment process, stressing that the inclusion of qualified persons with special needs remained a core policy and consistent practice of SUBEB.
According to him, the board had over the years recruited qualified persons with disabilities and deployed them appropriately, including to special education schools across the state.
He acknowledged that in some special needs schools, teacher strength currently exceeded pupil enrolment but insisted that such situations had never been used as grounds to deny employment to any qualified person with disability.
On accessibility, Jazuli said SUBEB provided reasonable accommodations during the most recent recruitment examinations to ensure fairness and equal opportunity.
He explained that visually impaired candidates were allowed to attend the examinations with assistants, a measure he said directly contradicted claims of discrimination or informal screening.
Speaking on legal provisions, the SUBEB spokesperson acknowledged the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018, and the Kano State Persons with Disabilities Law.
However, he clarified that the implementation of disability employment quotas was guided by available vacancies, job relevance, sectoral needs and operational realities.
“The law does not prescribe automatic recruitment irrespective of workforce balance, role suitability or existing staffing levels,” he said, adding that recruitment decisions must align with institutional requirements.
Jazuli also addressed concerns over the concentration of persons with disabilities in the education sector, noting that recruitment across Ministries, Departments and Agencies was decentralised.
He said SUBEB could only recruit within its statutory mandate, while other MDAs were responsible for their respective recruitment exercises.
While reaffirming that the rights of persons with disabilities were protected by law, Jazuli stressed that such rights must be exercised alongside responsibility and professionalism.
He warned that absenteeism and prolonged non-official engagements by public servants could undermine service delivery.
The director urged persons with special needs to pursue their legitimate interests through unity and constructive engagement, noting that public division weakens advocacy efforts.
He also advised prospective applicants to submit their details through their respective Local Government Education Authorities or appropriate local government structures, in line with established guidelines.
“The board can only entertain recruitment requests that follow proper channels,” he said.
Jazuli reaffirmed that no qualified person with disability had been deliberately excluded from the ongoing recruitment exercise, adding that accessibility measures were provided and legal provisions respected.
“Inclusive employment is not a favour but a legal obligation, and Kano State SUBEB remains committed to upholding this principle,” he said.