Kano OOSC Drops by 113,641 to 875,593, New Survey Reveals
Kola Oyelere Kano
THE number of out-of-school children (OOSC) in Kano State has dropped to 875,593, representing an 11.5 per cent reduction from the 989,234 recorded in 2023, the Kano State Government has said.
The figure was contained in the Kano State Out-of-School Children Survey Report 2026, formally presented on Wednesday during a stakeholder dissemination meeting held at the COVID-19 Hall of the Ministry of Education in Kano.
Presenting the report, the Commissioner for Education, Gwani Dr. Ali Haruna Abubakar Makoda, said the latest figure represents a reduction of 113,641 children from the 2023 UNICEF data.
He described the decline as an encouraging indication that sustained government interventions and investment in the education sector were yielding positive results.
However, Makoda stressed that the 875,593 children still outside the formal education system remained a major concern that required renewed and coordinated efforts by all stakeholders.
The Commissioner said unlike previous figures, which were largely estimates derived from national samples and other sources, the 2026 figure was obtained through a rigorous state-wide survey.
According to him, the survey provides verified and disaggregated data by Local Government Area, age and gender, offering a more accurate picture of the OOSC situation across the state.
He said the new data would provide a credible baseline for evidence-based educational planning, policy formulation, resource allocation and the development of targeted interventions aimed at enrolling and retaining children in school.
Makoda attributed the progress to the commitment of the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, citing increased investment in education, expansion and rehabilitation of schools and classrooms, provision of teaching and learning materials, free school uniforms and enrolment campaigns.
He also identified strengthened education data management systems and collaboration with UNICEF and other development partners as key components of the state’s efforts to address the challenge.
The Commissioner urged stakeholders to use the findings of the survey to develop practical, sustainable and community-specific solutions tailored to the needs of individual Local Government Areas.
“Although the reduction in the number of out-of-school children is encouraging, the fact that 875,593 children remain out of school shows that much more work needs to be done,” he said.
“With accurate data, sustained investment, strong partnerships and political will, the challenge can be significantly reduced.”
Makoda 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 also 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 their children in school and ensure that they remain in school.
The Director of Public Enlightenment of the ministry, Musbahu Aminu Yakasai, said representatives of donor agencies, development organisations and civil society groups, in their goodwill messages, commended the state government for conducting the state-wide survey.
They stressed the importance of accurate and reliable data in guiding interventions designed to improve access to quality, inclusive and equitable education across Kano State.
The stakeholder meeting was attended by government officials, development partners, donor organisations, civil society groups, traditional and community leaders, school administrators and other stakeholders in the education sector.