Kano State is facing a critical education crisis, with only 9.6% of primary school pupils demonstrating reading proficiency and 11.2% possessing basic numeracy skills, according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The UNICEF Chief of Kano Field Office, Mr. Rahama Mohammed, disclosed these figures during a news conference held in Kano to mark the 2025 International Day for Education under the theme “AI and Education: Preserving Human Agency in a World of Automation.”
Mohammed described the statistics as “a wake-up call for all stakeholders,” stressing the need for urgent investment in education to reverse the trend.
Citing the 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS), Mohammed revealed that 989,234 primary school-age children in Kano—approximately 32% of the population—are currently not enrolled in formal education.
“This is not just a statistic; it represents the dreams and potential futures of nearly one million children being cut short. Urgent action is required to address this crisis,” he said.
To address the crisis, UNICEF has initiated projects, including integrating Quranic schools into the formal education system.
Over 290 Mallams and proprietors of Quranic schools in Kano and Jigawa states have been trained under this initiative to ensure children receive basic education alongside religious studies.
“UNICEF has also supported the construction and rehabilitation of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities in 33 schools across Kano and Jigawa. These efforts have directly benefited 39,432 children—19,810 boys and 19,622 girls—by improving school infrastructure and student retention,” he noted.
Mohammed outlined efforts to improve education quality by training 1,109 teachers in areas such as Reading and Numeracy Activities (RANA), Early Childhood Development, and HASKE for non-formal Quranic schools.
“Additionally, we’ve supplied over 630,249 teaching and learning materials to schools, supporting early childhood and primary education. These efforts are pivotal in improving learning outcomes,” he added.
UNICEF recognized its partners, including the European Union for its collaboration on the Education and Youth Empowerment (EYE) Programme, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) for supporting the CRIBS project in Kano and Jigawa states.
“We remain committed to collaborating with the governments of Kano, Katsina, and Jigawa to achieve better basic education outcomes. Education is the cornerstone of development, and we must not let these children down,” Mohammed emphasized.
The International Day for Education underscores the need for stakeholders to unite in addressing the challenges threatening the future of Kano’s children.
