Millions of Nigerian girls are still denied access to education due to early marriage, poverty, and insecurity, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Sa’id, has said.
Speaking at the closing of the Kano Girls’ Education Summit yesterday at Bayero University’s Dangote Business School, Prof. Sa’id warned that these challenges prevent many girls from reaching their full potential. She called for renewed political commitment and targeted investment in girls’ education.
Represented by her Special Adviser, Umma Kulthum, the minister said, “The data remind us that too many girls in Nigeria still face barriers that prevent them from learning…We must go beyond rhetoric and commit to targeted, equitable, and sustained investment in girls’ education.”
Prof. Sa’id highlighted federal government initiatives under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Education Agenda, including the World Bank-supported AGILE project and the LUMINAH 2030 programme, which aims to educate and empower one million underserved girls by 2030.
Kano State Deputy Governor, Comrade Aminu Abdulsalam Gwarzo, reaffirmed the state government’s commitment, noting that 31 percent of the 2025 budget is allocated to education—the highest in Nigeria. He said the state of emergency on education declared in 2024 led to school rehabilitation, teacher recruitment, and adoption of a gender-responsive education budgeting framework.
BCAI Executive Secretary, Sani Muhammad, described the summit as a milestone in Kano’s education reforms, praising partnerships with the Malala Fund and the state government for improving accountability and equity in education financing.
The summit, organised by Bridge Connect Africa Initiative (BCAI) with support from Malala Fund under the Bridging Access to Girls’ Education (BAGE) project, provided a platform for stakeholders to commit to equitable education financing and service delivery for girls in Kano.
