The Kano State Ministry of Education has released its 2026 Out-of-School Children Survey Report, revealing that 875,593 children are currently out of school across the state’s 44 local government areas.
The figure was disclosed in a statement issued by the ministry’s Director of Public Enlightenment, Musbahu Aminu Yakasai, and made available to PUNCH Online on Friday.
The report was presented on Wednesday at the COVID-19 Hall of the Kano State Ministry of Education during an event attended by government officials, development partners, donor organisations, civil society groups, traditional and community leaders, school administrators and other education stakeholders.
The statement read, “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.”
Makoda described the decline as an encouraging indication that sustained interventions and investments in education were producing positive results.
He, however, said the number of children still outside the school system demonstrated the need for renewed and coordinated action.
The commissioner explained that earlier figures were largely estimates based on national samples and other sources, while the 2026 figure was obtained through a statewide survey that provided verified data broken down by local government area, age and gender.
He said the new data would serve as a credible baseline for evidence-based educational planning, policy development, resource allocation and targeted interventions aimed at enrolling, retaining and supporting children outside the formal education system.
Makoda attributed the progress recorded so far to the sustained commitment of the Kano State Government under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, including increased investment in education, the construction, rehabilitation and expansion of schools and classrooms, provision of teaching and learning materials, free uniform distribution and enrolment campaigns.
He also identified improvements in education data and information management systems, alongside continued collaboration with UNICEF and other development partners, as key to the state’s efforts to tackle the out-of-school children challenge.
The commissioner formally presented the OOSC Survey Report 2026 and urged stakeholders to use its findings to develop practical and sustainable solutions tailored to the needs of individual communities and local government areas.
Makoda noted that while the reduction was encouraging, the fact that 875,593 children remained out of school showed that significant work was still required.
“With accurate data, sustained investment, strong partnerships and political will, the challenge can be significantly reduced,” the commissioner was quoted as saying.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to using reliable data and evidence to guide educational planning, monitoring and resource allocation across the state.
“The dissemination of the Kano State OOSC Survey Report 2026 therefore marks a significant step towards strengthening collaboration among stakeholders and accelerating concerted efforts to ensure that every child in Kano State has access to education,” he said.
Makoda also urged parents, traditional and religious leaders, communities, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to strengthen their support for government initiatives by encouraging families to enrol their children and ensure they remain in school.