The Kano State Ministry of Education says the state recorded 875,593 out-of-school children in the 2026 survey report.

The ministry announced this in a statement by its Director of Public Enlightenment, Musbahu Aminu-Yakasai, on Friday in Kano.

Mr Aminu-Yakasai said the Commissioner for Education, Ali Haruna-Makoda, disclosed this while presenting the Kano State 2026 out-of-school children survey report.

Mr Haruna-Makoda said the latest figure represented a reduction of 113,641, equivalent to 11.5 per cent, compared with the 989,234 out-of-school children recorded in the 2023 United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) data.

He described the reduction as encouraging evidence that sustained interventions and investments in the education sector were yielding positive results.

The commissioner, however, said that the number of children still out of school underscored the need for renewed and coordinated efforts.

“Previous figures were largely estimates derived from national samples and other sources. The 2026 OOSC figure is based on a rigorous state-wide survey.

”The survey provides verified and disaggregated data by local government area, age and gender,” he said.

He said the new data would provide a credible baseline for evidence-based educational planning, policy formulation, resource allocation and the design of targeted interventions to enrol, retain and support children outside the formal education system.

The commissioner attributed the progress to the state government’s commitment under Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf, particularly increased investment in education.

He noted that the enrolment drive, strengthening of education data and information management systems, and collaboration with UNICEF and other development partners were key components of the state’s efforts to address the challenge.

Mr Haruna-Makoda urged stakeholders to use the findings to develop practical and sustainable solutions tailored to the needs of communities and local government areas.

He said the reduction was encouraging, but the number of children still out of school showed that more work was needed.

”With accurate data, sustained investment, strong partnerships and political will, the challenge can be significantly reduced,” Mr Haruna-Makoda said.

He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to strengthening the use of reliable data and evidence in educational planning, monitoring and resource allocation across the state.

He said the report’s dissemination marked a significant step toward strengthening collaboration among stakeholders and accelerating efforts to ensure every child in Kano had access to education.

The commissioner called on parents, traditional and religious leaders, communities, development partners and civil society organisations to intensify support for government efforts by encouraging families to enrol and keep their children in school.

(NAN)