Lukman Abdulmalik
A December 2023 report by Stallion Times exposed the lack of primary schools in several rural communities in Kano State, including Makera in Tudun Wada, Tsamaya in Takai, and Gudesu in Albasu Local Government Areas.
As of today, these communities remain without access to formal education infrastructure.
According to the report, the previous Kano State administration led by Abdullahi Umar Ganduje signed a bill in November 2020 making education free and compulsory across the state’s 44 LGAs.
The law mandated the state to provide free schooling from primary to secondary level, including uniforms, learning materials, adequate classrooms, and school feeding programs.
Despite the thousands of classrooms reportedly constructed under this initiative, these rural areas have seen no tangible impact, with no schools built in their communities even four years after the law’s passage.
In response to widespread educational decline, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf declared a state of emergency in the education sector in June 2024, citing severe infrastructural and quality decay.
The move was followed by efforts such as the distribution of 789,000 school uniforms and 53,000 desks to improve public school conditions.
Further action was taken in January 2025, when the governor inaugurated a 14-member committee to review existing education policies.
At the event, the Commissioner for Planning and Budget, Musa Shanono, announced funding allocations for the construction and renovation of schools at all educational levels.
However, a visit by this reporter to Makera, Tsamaya, and Gudesu revealed that none of these efforts have reached the underserved rural communities.
Despite an education budget of ₦205.94 billion in 2025, representing 29% of the total state budget, children in these areas continue to trek 12 to 15 kilometers daily to attend schools in neighboring towns. Many have been forced to drop out entirely due to the distance.
In Gudesu, village head Muhammad Tukur, 45, expressed deep concern.
He said: “Our community has over 200 children who receive no formal or Islamic education.
“Only about 40 children manage to walk long distances to school. The rest are left behind.”
He added that residents once attempted to build a school but were forced to abandon the project due to worsening economic conditions.
In 2021, the Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) allocated ₦150 million for teaching and learning materials and ₦241.16 million to support the free education program.
In Addition, the State Senior Secondary School Management Board received ₦1.69 billion for its free education efforts.
Despite these budgetary allocations, the situation deteriorated in 2022, with the education sector receiving only ₦2.2 billion, rising slightly to ₦4.1 billion in 2023.
While the budget has steadily increased, the benefits have not trickled down to rural areas like Makera, Tsamaya, and Gudesu.
The continued absence of schools has led to high illiteracy rates, stunted development, and a growing population of out-of-school children, raising serious concerns about the real impact of Kano State’s declared emergency in the education sector.
