Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports
Kano State Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has advocated for high-quality girl-child education as one of his administration’s primary goals.
He made the remarks over the weekend through his Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Ya’u Yan’shana, during a discussion with citizens and relevant stakeholders about girls’ education, a program supported by PERL (ECP).
He stated that educational development in Kano State is a critical task that is part of President Muhammadu Buhari’s visions and missions.
The governor stated that the Kano State Ministry of Education would do everything possible to ensure that funds designated for girl-child education were released on time.
He praised the Girls Education Partnership (GEP), with support from PERL, for their dedication and urged philanthropists to help develop female education.
Dr. Kabiru Shehu, former Head of Service and co-chair of the GEP and Special Adviser to the Governor on Free and Compulsory Education, described the partnership as a coalition of citizens, women’s groups, government officials, and the media.
He urged the Commissioner for Education to act quickly on outstanding issues, claiming that GEP had helped the Kano State Ministry of Education achieve success in girls’ education.
“Because we are part of the ministry, we would send our mail without the usual bureaucracy,” he explained.
Comrade Safiyanu Lawan Bichi of the Kano budget working group and member GEP noted in his presentation titled “Girls’ Education Partnership; The Journey So Far” that the coalition had achieved tremendous success since its inception.
“GEP had organized and disseminated findings on public policy dialogue on insecurity, dialogue on cultural issues preventing girls’ education in three pilot schools, and advocacy visits to five emirate councils, among other things,” he said.
“The government’s support for the partnership included the establishment of a girls’ education budget line in the 2022 state budget, the establishment of a unit for girls education, and the payment of N199 million for National Examinations Council (NECO) fees for some selected girls.”
