Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State announced a state of emergency in the education sector, revealing distressing conditions in primary schools across the state.
In a public address at the Open Arena, Kano Government House, Governor Yusuf detailed the grim reality he encountered upon taking office on May 29, 2023.
“Above 4.7 million pupils are sitting on bare floors to take lessons,” Governor Yusuf stated, highlighting the severe lack of basic educational infrastructure.
Governor Yusuf further disclosed that approximately 400 schools have only one teacher responsible for all subjects and classes.
Instead of addressing these critical needs, the previous administration reportedly chose to sell off school lands, demolishing classrooms to make way for commercial enterprises. In some instances, schools were closed and left to be vandalized.
“The encroachment of public school lands and the conversion of these vital institutions into private business premises is an affront to our communal values and a direct assault on our commitment to public education,” Yusuf asserted.
He condemned the “reckless appropriation of educational spaces for commercial use” and called for an immediate halt to such practices.
Expressing a deep sense of duty, Governor Yusuf emphasized the urgent need to address the deteriorating state of education in Kano. “As your elected governor, entrusted with the solemn responsibility of steering our state towards prosperity and progress, I cannot ignore the glaring reality that confronts us in the realm of education,” he said.
Governor Yusuf reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to prioritizing education, calling it “not only a public good but also the greatest asset that any people can bequeath to its upcoming generation.”
He stressed that no society can advance beyond the quality and standard of its education system, underscoring the necessity of radical yet practical measures to reposition education provisioning in Kano.
The governor lamented the decline of Kano’s educational landscape, which once served as a beacon of hope and opportunity for youths and an example for other states. Now, it is marred by neglect and decay, with nearly a million children out of school.