The Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has declared a state of emergency in education following a disturbing discovery about the condition of primary schools.
Speaking at the Open Arena in Kano Government House, Governor Yusuf revealed that upon taking office on May 29, 2023, his administration found over 4.7 million pupils forced to sit on bare floors due to a severe lack of basic classroom furniture.
Governor Yusuf highlighted the dire situation further, noting that many schools are also critically short on instructional materials, leaving teachers and students struggling with outdated and insufficient resources.
He said “Above 4.7 million pupils are sitting on bare floors to take lessons while about 400 schools have only one teacher for all classes and subjects.”
Yusuf accused the actions of the previous administration for mismanaging school properties.
“Rather than building more classrooms and providing basic furniture in the schools, as well as hiring more teachers, the administration we took over from chose to butcher the land belonging to those schools. In some places, it demolished classrooms to create space for shops,” he said.
He condemned the conversion of public school lands into private business premises, calling it an affront to communal values and a direct assault on the commitment to public education.
Expressing a profound sense of duty, Governor Yusuf underscored the urgent need to address these issues. “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 asserted.
Governor Yusuf emphasized that education is the administration’s top priority, viewing it as a crucial public good and the greatest asset for future generations. He called for radical but practical measures to reposition the state’s education system, stating, “It is with a heavy heart that I bring forth this discourse, as the challenges we face in the education sector are as formidable as they are alarming.”
The governor pointed out the significant rise in out-of-school children, with the current figure at 989,234, lamenting the neglect and decay that has plagued the educational landscape of Kano State.
“Our educational landscape, once a beacon of hope and opportunity for our youths, now stands shrouded in the shadows of unacceptable neglect and decay,” he concluded.
