875,593 Children Still Out Of School In Kano

A new survey by the Kano State Ministry of Education has found that 875,593 children remain out of school across the state’s 44 local government areas.

The figure, contained in the Kano State Out-of-School Children Survey Report 2026, is 113,641 lower than the 989,234 out-of-school children recorded in UNICEF’s 2023 data, representing an 11.5 per cent decline.

The findings were presented on Wednesday at the Ministry of Education in Kano.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr. Ali Makoda, described the reduction as encouraging but said the number of children still outside the classroom showed that more work remained.

“Kano State Out-of-School Children Survey Report 2026, reveals a new verified figure of 875,593 out-of-school children across the state.

“The Commissioner for Education, Kano State, Gwani Dr. Ali Haruna Abubakar Makoda, said the new figure represents a reduction of 113,641 children, equivalent to 11.5 per cent, compared with the 989,234 out-of-school children recorded in the 2023 UNICEF data,” the statement read partly.

Makoda said the 2026 figure was based on a statewide survey that provided disaggregated data by local government area, age and gender, unlike previous figures, which he said were largely estimates drawn from national samples and other sources.

He said the survey would serve as a baseline for education planning and help guide resource allocation and programmes aimed at enrolling and retaining children who remain outside the formal school system.

The commissioner urged education stakeholders to use the findings to develop solutions that address the specific challenges facing different communities and local government areas.

“With accurate data, sustained investment, strong partnerships and political will, the challenge can be significantly reduced.”

The report did not outline the factors responsible for the reduction in the number of out-of-school children.