By Gloria Josiah
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s sweeping education reforms in Kano State have continued to receive national and international recognition, as key development partners have commended his administration’s bold interventions aimed at transforming the sector.
This was contained in a statement issued by governor’s Spokesperson Sanusi Bature Dawakin on Monday.
During a high-level event held in Kano to assess the progress of various education programmes, representatives of major development partners, including UNICEF, the World Bank AGILE Project, PLANE (FCDO), K-SAFE, and CSACEFA, praised the governor for demonstrating strong political will and commitment to revamping basic and post-basic education in the state.
Mr. Michael Banda, Chief of the UNICEF Kano Field Office, hailed the governor’s investments in instructional materials, digital learning, and teacher recruitment, describing them as “strategic and sustainable.”
He emphasized that UNICEF will continue to support the state in areas such as girl-child education, inclusive learning, and teacher training.
The PLANE Project (Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria), supported by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), also acknowledged the reforms.
The organization noted improved learning conditions and policy direction as key indicators of the administration’s success.
Similarly, the World Bank-supported AGILE Project applauded the state government’s plan to solarize 200 public schools and equip each with 250 computers.
The initiative, they said, will ensure equitable access to technology and prepare students for the digital economy.
Dr. Auwalu Halilu Tudun Kaya, Coordinator of the Kano-SAFE (K-SAFE) programme, commended the governor for recruiting 17,600 security guards to man public schools, ensuring that students and teachers can operate in a safe and secure environment.
Also speaking at the event, Hassan Gama, Kano State Coordinator of the Civil Society Action Coalition on Education for All (CSACEFA), praised the administration’s inclusive approach to policy-making.
He noted that civil society has been fully engaged in planning, monitoring, and evaluation of ongoing reforms.
Governor Yusuf expressed appreciation for the support of the development partners and reiterated his administration’s resolve to continue investing in both the infrastructure and human capital components of education.
“Our collective goal is to ensure that every child in Kano, regardless of background, has access to quality, safe, and inclusive education,” he said.
The governor’s education agenda has so far featured key interventions, including the distribution of N2.8 billion worth of instructional materials, recruitment of 4,000 BESDA staff, solarization of schools, introduction of a N200 million teacher vehicle loan scheme, and large-scale security deployment to schools across the state.
