The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Nigeria, has applauded the commitment of Kano state government towards improving teaching and learning in the state.
The Deputy National Programme Manager Samuel Achimugu gave the positive appraisal on Tuesday at the distribution of first batch of free uniforms to pupils in public basic schools.
Achimugu who acknowlledged the physical development in education under the present administration pledged the commitment of all FCDO’s sub-agencies to strengthening teaching and learning system in the state.
Achimugu said the development partners have watched with keen interest several contributions and it’s attendant positive impact, assured the foreign department’s readiness to sustain collaboration with Kano state government.
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While unfolding the distribution of the uniforms, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf said the multi-million project was part of critical measures aimed to enhance school enrolment.
Governor Yusuf lamented the increasing rate of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria with Kano accounting for not less than 10 per cent of the ugly trend, insisted that no stone would be left unturned to reverse the situation.
He said the provision of the uniforms is part of his campaign promises to revamp the ailing sector which he expected to reduce financial burden of parents.
The Governor regretted inheriting a near collapse of education system from the immediate past administration who left the public schools dilapidated and neglected several counterpart fund.
” We took over education sector in a sorry state. From statistics, 900,000 of the 10,000,000 out-of-school children are from Kano. Which means, Kano is accounted for 10 percent of the ugly figure, according to the data.
” Worsen still, the immediate past administration of Ganduje shut down all our boarding schools, left our classrooms to den of criminals, without furnitures, rotten roofing sheets. It was horrible neglect. The situation brought Kano backward and on the verge of collapse. But we are committed to reverse the ugly trend”. Yusuf vowed.
Part of unwavering measures deployed to reverse the situation, Governor Yusuf emphasized include the 31 percent vote on education in the 2025 fiscal appropriation. He said over 10,000 teachers were equally approved for employment to improve teacher to student ratio.
Similarly, the Governor intimated payment of backlog of counterpart funding of SUBEB since 2021, reopened all the boarding schools to return students back to schools, facilitated monthly payment of N20, 000 conditional cash transfer to 45,000 students.
He said sequel to declaration of state of emergency on education, the NNPP administration has committed several billions on free uniforms, construction of 336 new classrooms, 119 rehabilitation of defect structures, distribution of 53,652 three-sitter desk catering for 160,956 pupils across 484 wards.
The event, witnessed by both state, federal and foreign agencies on education captured the Governor Yusuf’s symbolic handing over of the bulk uniforms to each of the 44 local government Chairmen for onward distribution of two piers to each pupil in their domains.
