Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has announced plans to build 50 new secondary schools across the state as part of efforts to improve access to quality education. Speaking at the Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) start-up workshop on Monday, the governor highlighted his administration’s commitment to addressing educational challenges in northern Nigeria.
Sani acknowledged the significant challenges related to access to education and infrastructure in the region. He emphasized that his government would focus on enhancing education access, upgrading infrastructure, and investing in capacity-building programs for teachers.
“We have identified education infrastructure as a key challenge, and we are committed to improving access by constructing new schools and upgrading existing ones,” Sani said. He also stressed the importance of ICT in enhancing education management, quality, and access, along with initiatives to prioritize girl-child education and improve security in schools.
The governor pointed out that his administration had already made progress by constructing 62 new secondary schools 39 junior and 23 senior across the state’s three senatorial zones. Recognizing the growing demand for quality education, Sani announced the approval of an additional 50 secondary schools, with the procurement process already well underway.
“These new schools will help accommodate over 100,000 students and further demonstrate Kaduna State’s dedication to providing inclusive and accessible education for all,” he added.
In addition to the new schools, Sani’s government has invested significantly in educational infrastructure, building 2,326 new classrooms, renovating 707 classrooms, and providing over 30,000 two-seater pupil desks. The administration has also constructed 918 VIP toilets and installed 51 hand pump boreholes in schools across the state.
To support the increased student population, Sani revealed that 2,000 newly recruited teachers will be deployed to the new schools. Furthermore, 1,482,816 instructional materials have been distributed, and over 26,000 teachers, head teachers, and school support officers have received training in skills such as computer literacy, classroom management, and school management systems.
Despite the progress made, Governor Sani acknowledged the ongoing challenge of out-of-school children. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to tackling this issue on a larger scale, stating, “We are focused on improving education for our underserved and vulnerable children and ensuring they have a brighter future.”