The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has raised alarm over the education crisis in Kano State, revealing that only 9.6% of primary school pupils are proficient in reading, while just 11.2% possess basic numeracy skills.
Speaking at a news conference in Kano on Friday to commemorate the 2025 International Day for Education, Mr. Rahama Mohammed, UNICEF’s Chief of Kano Field Office, described the situation as deeply troubling. He further disclosed that nearly one million children in Kano are currently out of school.
“UNICEF is deeply concerned about the state of education in Kano. The statistics are alarming, and urgent measures are needed to address the growing education crisis,” Mohammed said.
The 2021 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) paints a grim picture, indicating that 989,234 primary school-aged children, about 32% of the population, are not enrolled in formal education.
UNICEF is actively supporting initiatives to address this challenge, including reforms to integrate Quranic schools into the formal education system.
UNICEF has developed an integrated curriculum and trained over 290 Mallams and Quranic school proprietors across Kano and Jigawa states. This ensures children in these schools receive formal education alongside their religious studies.
The organisation is also improving school infrastructure with a focus on climate-resilient designs and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) facilities, benefiting over 39,000 children in Kano and Jigawa states.
UNICEF has undertaken efforts to enhance teaching quality and provide essential resources. Initiatives include professional development for 1,109 teachers in programs like Reading and Numeracy Activities (RANA) and Early Childhood Development.
Additionally, the organisation has distributed over 630,000 teaching and learning materials to support early and primary education across Kano State.
UNICEF acknowledged the role of its partners, including the European Union’s Education and Youth Empowerment Programme and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s CRIBS project, in improving education in northern Nigeria.
