Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has identified the large number of out-of-school children, including those with disabilities, as a major barrier to inclusive development. Speaking at the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) Start-Up Workshop on Monday, Sani outlined his administration’s efforts to address the issue and improve access to education in the state.
The governor emphasized that access to quality education and the provision of adequate infrastructure remain key challenges, particularly in northern Nigeria. “We set out to tackle these challenges in six key areas,” he said. These include: improving access to education, building and rehabilitating school infrastructure, enhancing teacher capacity, leveraging ICT to improve education quality and management, prioritizing education for girls, and strengthening security across the state.
Under Sani’s leadership, Kaduna State has made significant strides in expanding educational facilities. The government has built 62 new secondary schools, including 39 junior and 23 senior secondary schools, across the three senatorial zones. In response to continued demand for quality education, Sani announced plans to construct an additional 50 secondary schools. The procurement process for this ambitious project is currently underway, and once completed, the new schools are expected to enroll over 100,000 students.
Additionally, the state government has invested heavily in improving school facilities. To date, 2,326 new classrooms have been built, and 707 existing classrooms have been renovated. The government has also provided 30,742 two-seater desks for students, 3,704 pieces of furniture for teachers, and built 918 VIP toilets and 51 hand pump boreholes in schools.
In terms of human resources, the governor revealed that 2,000 qualified teachers have been recruited and are awaiting deployment to newly completed schools. This is part of a broader effort to ensure effective teaching and learning. Furthermore, the state government has distributed over 1.4 million instructional materials and provided training for more than 26,000 teachers, headteachers, and school support staff. The training covers essential skills such as computer literacy, classroom management, literacy and numeracy, and school management systems.
Sani’s administration continues to prioritize education as a cornerstone for the state’s development, aiming to provide inclusive and accessible learning opportunities for all children, regardless of background or disability.
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