Kano State Commissioner for Education, Gwani Dr. Ali Haruna Abubakar Makoda, has officially flagged off the 2025/2026 Annual School Census (ASC), reaffirming the State Government’s commitment to strengthening education planning through the provision of accurate, reliable and up-to-date data.
Speaking during the flag-off ceremony at the Ministry’s Conference Hall, the Commissioner described the Annual School Census as a vital exercise for generating credible statistics that will guide evidence-based policy formulation, effective planning, equitable allocation of resources and improved service delivery across the education sector.
He urged all stakeholders involved in the exercise to ensure accuracy, transparency and timeliness in the collection and submission of data.
Dr. Makoda thereafter officially declared the 2025/2026 Annual School Census open and presented sample Annual School Census questionnaires and other data collection materials to key education agencies, including the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), the Kano State Senior Secondary Schools Management Board (KSSSSMB), the State Agency for Mass Education (SAME), the State Science and Technical Schools Board (STSB), and the Private and Voluntary Institutions Management Board (PVIMB), to commence the exercise.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Bashir Baffa Muhammad, welcomed participants and expressed appreciation to development partners and other stakeholders for their continued support towards improving education management through quality data.
He emphasized that the success of the census would significantly enhance planning and decision-making within the sector.
Also speaking at the event, the Director of Planning, Research and Statistics, Yusha’u Hamza Kafinchiri, presented an overview of the 2025/2026 Annual School Census, highlighting its objectives, scope, methodology, implementation timeline and expected outputs.
He explained that the exercise is designed to capture comprehensive data on schools, learners, teachers, infrastructure and other key education indicators to support informed planning and policy implementation.
Representatives of development partners, including UNICEF, PLAN International and the Development Research and Projects Centre (DRPC), commended the Kano State Government for sustaining the Annual School Census.
They reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the Ministry in strengthening education data systems and ensuring the availability of quality statistics for the development of the education sector.
The flag-off ceremony was attended by directors of the Ministry, heads of education agencies, representatives of development partners, education stakeholders and other dignitaries.
