Why Kano needs an updated education sector plan

In Kano State, where nearly a million children remain out of school despite a free education policy, outdated strategies and limited resources leave thousands of students, especially girls, without a chance to complete even basic schooling. With the current Education Sector Plan last updated in 2009, the challenges of overcrowded classrooms, gender disparities have intensified, impacting students’ lives and futures. This report examines why Kano urgently needs an updated, gender-responsive plan to address these gaps and ensure a more inclusive, accessible education for all.

By Hadiza Musa Yusuf 

Kano State, once a hub of education and innovation in Northern Nigeria, now finds itself grappling with an education crisis that threatens its future.

This is evident in the state of schools. The crumbling classrooms, overworked teachers, inadequate sanitation facilities, lack of resources and the number of out of school children.

According to UNICEF, it is estimated that Kano State has at least 989,234 out-of-school children. This is about 10% of the total number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, which is 10.5 million.

Despite various promises by different administrations, the reality on the ground tells a troubling story for the state’s education sector.

In 2019, Kano introduced the Free, Compulsory Basic and Post-Basic Education policy, an initiative aimed at ensuring that all children in the state have access to free education from primary to secondary levels. While the policy marked a significant step forward, its implementation has been riddled with challenges.

Schools have been flooded with new students, but the infrastructure, teaching staff, and funding required to support the policy remain inadequate.

One major issue is the lack of a proper plan to support such a policy. This is where an Education Sector Plan (ESP) comes in. The ESP is a document that helps governments map out how to improve education over a specific period.

It outlines priorities, allocates resources, and sets measurable goals to improve education access, quality, and equity. It also ensures that policies like free education are properly implemented.

According to UNESCO (2015), An Education Sector Plan (ESP) is by nature a national policy instrument, elaborated under the responsibility of government, which provides a long-term vision for the education system in the country, and outlines a coherent set of practicable strategies to reach its objectives and overcome difficulties.

Unfortunately, Kano’s ESP, created in 2009, expired in 2018 and has not been updated since leaving the state six years later still operating without a revised plan, leaving its education policies disconnected from current education realities.

The 2009-2018 Education Sector Plan (ESP) in Kano failed largely due to poor implementation, insufficient funding, and lack of continuous monitoring and evaluation. While the plan outlined ambitious goals, it lacked the financial and human resources needed to achieve them. For instance, inadequate investment in teacher recruitment and training led to a persistent shortage of qualified educators, while limited infrastructure funding left schools overcrowded and poorly equipped. Additionally, the plan failed to adapt to emerging challenges, such as increasing out-of-school rates among girls and children in rural areas, which worsened over time.

Children Left Behind

Furairah Shu’aibu, a 17 year old girl married two months ago. The new bride revealed that she decided to choose marriage when her dream of obtaining at least a secondary school certificate remained out of reach.

Her journey away from education began with the growing costs of textbooks and essential school materials that her family simply couldn’t afford.

Coming from a large family of 14 in Kano’s Kumbotso Local Government Area, Furairah had to leave school in SS2 at Abdullahi Mariri Secondary School due to financial constraints. Her father, a man in his fifties who works as a local tea seller (Mai shayi), simply couldn’t cover the incidental costs of her education.

“My father works hard,” she explained, “but the money he makes just isn’t enough for school expenses on top of feeding and caring for the family.”

“I wanted to finish school, but it just wasn’t possible,” she recounted.

“Every term, there was something new we needed—a new book, exam registration, or even just supplies for classwork. but every time I thought we might be able to manage it, something else would come up.”

“In the end, marriage seemed like the only path left.”

Furairah’s story mirrors the plight of thousands of children across Kano State.

Bilkisu Salisu, a 17-year-old girl from Magadawa Mariri in Kano State, represents the struggles of many girls in rural communities who yearn for education but are held back by systemic barriers.

“I dropped out after my Junior Secondary School (JSS3),” Bilkisu shared.

“I have always dreamed of completing my education, but it wasn’t meant to be. Our community does not have a secondary school. The one closest to us I actually don’t like.”

According to her, one of the reasons she does not like the closest senior secondary school to their community was because of its overcrowded nature.

“I don’t think I would learn much even if I went there. There are a lot of people attending the schools even from neighboring communities and I don’t really see a difference in the way they speak or act. Sometimes I imagine attending a private school or a school where the classrooms are more comfortable, and where I could learn English properly. I wish I could speak English well and become successful.

Bilkisu’s dream of education is further hindered by poverty. Her father passed away several years ago, leaving her mother to support the family by doing house chores for wealthier households.

Bilkisu often helps her mother with the work, earning just enough to cover basic needs. “We barely get by,” she admitted.

“And I can’t go to a private school because we can’t afford it,”she said.

“If I could finish school, I know I would make my family proud,” she said. “I don’t want to spend my whole life doing house chores for others. I want to be better.”

For Sani Hamza, a Fourteen-year-old student at Sumaila Secondary School, who admits he has little interest in school due to the difficulties he faces in understanding lessons.

“It’s like I’m just following my friends to school,” Sani said. “I trek about 15 minutes from Jinka to school, and when I’m late, I take a bike for N100.”

Struggling to keep up in class has made school feel pointless to him. “Most times, I just don’t understand what the teachers teach,” he confessed.

Sani feels his time would be better spent working. “I’d rather go and look for money instead of being in school,” he added. “After all, the goal of going to school is to make money—and I’m already making mine.”

Earlier, this year in February, The Commissioner for Education, Umar Doguwa, during a stakeholders meeting with women on ‘the significance of girls education for accelerated socio-economic development’ threatened to take decisive action against parents whose children are found roaming the streets during school hours.

However, the implementation is yet to kickstart as everyday students of school ages are seen rooming, Hawking accross the streets of the state.

Economic struggles, insecurity threaten retention and resources at GSS Gaya Gandu – Principal Reveals

The principal of Government Secondary School (GSS) Gaya Gandu, Mustapha Suleiman Gaya, has attributed low student retention rates to economic and security challenges impacting the school community.

“With the current economic situation, parents find it hard to keep their children in school,” he explained, emphasizing how financial hardships are forcing families to reconsider the cost of education.

The all-boys day school, which serves 946 students, faces multiple hurdles, including a shortage of security personnel that has led to repeated thefts and resource limitations.

“Our school does not have enough security anymore,” Gaya lamented. “This is why we are experiencing thefts here and there. The security staff are elderly, retired, and without replacements.”

The school currently employs only two security personnel, one of whom is unable to work consistently due to age and illness. To address these challenges, the school collaborated with the community to hire two additional guards, funded by local contributions. “The community members do very well; they pay the security staff. But how sustainable can this be?” Gaya questioned, highlighting the limitations of this temporary solution.

According to Gaya, recent thefts have targeted critical resources, including computers donated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). “In Kano, I think this is the second LGA the NCC decided to equip with well-functioning computers. But since the computers arrived, thieves have broken into the lab twice,” he explained.

The items frequently targeted by thieves include computers and metal objects, likely due to scavengers in the area. “Anything metal in this country is no longer safe as ‘jari bola’ [scavengers] are after them,” Gaya added.

“We’ve taken different measures to avoid future occurrences, but there is a need for government intervention.”

Why Kano needs an Education Sector Plan

One of the reasons why Kano needs an updated sector plan is to address the rising out-of-school rates in the state.

The ESP is a road map that will steer the education to its desired goal. A state without an ESP is like a car without a driver.

Having an Education Sector Plan could change the story for Bilkisu, Furairah and countless others. It will also address all the factors (e.g. poverty, cultural barriers, lack of infrastructure) facing the education sector in Kano state.

A Call to Action

For Kano to reclaim its place as a leader in education, it must prioritize the development of an updated, gender-responsive Education Sector Plan (ESP).

Policymakers, educators, and community leaders must collaborate to identify gaps, allocate resources, and implement solutions that address the needs of every child. Therefore, we are calling on stakeholders, including the Kano State Ministry of Education, the State’s Commissioner for Education, the Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), non-governmental organizations, and education advocacy groups, to join hands in advocating for an updated ESP.

We also urge Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, who has declared a state of emergency in education, to ensure the creation of a new ESP which will address the outdated weaknesses. The plan should prioritize sustainable funding mechanisms, regular progress reviews, and flexibility to tackle unforeseen challenges.

For instance, it should include a robust accountability framework to track implementation and allocate resources effectively. It should also emphasize gender-responsive strategies, such as incentives for recruiting female teachers, improving infrastructure like separate toilets for girls, and targeted interventions to reduce poverty-related dropouts.

With a collective commitment from the government, relevant ministries, and civil society, Kano can regain its educational leadership and secure a brighter future for all children in the state.