Kano State Government has distributed special learning and teaching materials to 100 learners with cognitive and developmental disabilities, in a move to promote inclusivity in education.
At a symbolic presentation held on Friday at Mambayya House, the State Commissioner for Women Affairs, Children, and Disabled, Hajiya Amina Sani Abdullahi, said the initiative was aimed at ensuring that every child in Kano has the opportunity to “learn and shine” regardless of gender or physical challenges.
Represented by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Muhammad Sambo, the commissioner disclosed that a new department dedicated to persons with disabilities has been created, with the support of the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), to make interventions more impactful.
The State Commissioner of Education, Gwani Ali Haruna Makoda, represented by the acting Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Bashir Muhammad Baffa, reaffirmed that the project aligns with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s vision of “education for all.”
He warned against diversion of the materials and urged proper utilization.
AGILE State Coordinator, Aminu Mustapha, explained that the World Bank–assisted project focuses on improving secondary education opportunities for adolescent girls by building and renovating schools, providing educational materials, offering digital literacy training, and tackling cultural and social barriers to learning.
He added that AGILE also provides second-chance education for girls who are out of school, married, or living with disabilities.
AGILE consultant, Dr. Samira Aliyu, emphasized the importance of inclusive education, noting that assistive devices enable students with cognitive disabilities to learn alongside their peers.
Other stakeholders, including the Director-General of Social Protection, Fatima Amne, and AGILE’s Social Safeguard Director, Bashir Kabir Rabiu, praised the initiative and assured that the distribution will be expanded to cover the entire state.
Each material bag given to beneficiaries contained uniforms, lunch boxes, reading and writing materials, individual education plans, and a baseball cap.
A principal of Government Secondary School Guzai, Hauwa Abdullahi, narrated how one of her students had shown a remarkable transformation after receiving support.
Parents of the beneficiaries, represented by Mallam Muhammad Sani, also expressed gratitude to the state government and AGILE, urging communities to join hands in actualizing inclusive education in Kano.
