Dear Sir
An Urgent Appeal: Declaring a State of Emergency in Kano’s Education Sector
Your Excellency,
As a concerned citizen and on behalf of parents, teachers, and community members, I am writing to you with a deep sense of urgency about the heartbreaking state of education in Kano State. The recent viral videos shared by content Creator Dan Bello did more than expose crumbling walls and empty classrooms—they revealed the silent suffering of our children and the forgotten dreams buried beneath broken ceilings.
You know that education is the lifeblood of a thriving society. It is in the classroom that a child first discovers the power of ideas and the promise of a better tomorrow. When that classroom is safe, vibrant, and led by passionate teachers, a child is not just taught; they are transformed. They begin a journey toward dignity and purpose, becoming the doctors, engineers, and leaders who shape our future.
Our Education Sector
Today, however, that promise is slipping away in Kano. Too many schools lack basic infrastructure like clean water, toilets and learning aids while too many teachers struggle without support. These aren’t just statistics; they are stories of bright, curious minds dimmed by neglect.
Your swift and compassionate response for visiting some affected schools just days after the exposé was a gesture of humanity. You gave us something we desperately needed: hope. Standing in those schools, it is impossible not to be moved by the efforts of teachers who give their all with so little and by the despair etched into the faces of students who deserve so much more. These are not isolated incidents; they are a reflection of a system crying out for rescue.
While broken classrooms and missing desks dominate the headlines, the true crisis runs much deeper. Kano has the highest number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, a heartbreaking distinction. For those who do make it to school, the odds remain stacked against them. Year after year, our students struggle to pass the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination, watching doors to higher education slam shut. Even our teachers are often left unsupported, with many lacking proper certifications or updated training. The absence of textbooks and science equipment leaves students grasping for knowledge in a vacuum.
Your Excellency, this is not just an infrastructure problem; it is a crisis of equity, dignity, and justice. Repairing walls and roofs is not enough. We must rebuild the foundation of learning itself by investing in people, training, and hope.
Investing in the Future Our Children Deserve
Our children are not statistics. They are dreamers, builders, and leaders in waiting. But without bold financial reform, their potential will be buried beneath broken classrooms and exhausted teachers. It’s time to rewrite the story and ensure every naira spent becomes a brick in the foundation of a brighter future.
We call on His Excellency to embrace transformative solutions that reflect courage, compassion, and a commitment to:
1. Amend the 2025 budget to reallocate resources toward:
-Immediate rehabilitation of the 500 most critical classroom blocks.
-Procurement of 100,000 desks, chairs, and chalkboards.
-Distribution of modern textbooks and digital learning devices.
-Implementation of standardized teacher assessments and certification programs.
2. Suspend foreign scholarship disbursements for five years and redirect the estimated annual savings toward critical infrastructure upgrades, essential learning materials, and robust teacher development programs. This is not abandonment but prioritization, choosing equity over exclusivity.
3. Launch a Sharia-Compliant Education Sukuk, a ₦50 billion Sukuk with staggered maturities to fund phased school construction and rehabilitation.
4. Ignite Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) by inviting experienced firms to co-finance, build, and maintain new school facilities under clear performance contracts.
5. Empower Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through offering tax offsets to companies that adopt schools, sponsor science laboratories, or fund teacher training.
6. Establish Community Endowment Funds in each senatorial zone with matching state grants to sustain libraries, laboratories, and extracurricular programs.
Transparent and Accountable Education Reform
Our children deserve more than promises; they deserve proof. Transparency is the lifeline of reform, and without it, hope fades. With it, we can rebuild faith in the power of public education. We urge His Excellency to embrace a bold framework of accountability that puts truth, trust, and transformation at the heart of every decision through:
1. Independent Education Reform Committee:
Form a non-partisan body of educators, civil society leaders, and finance experts to audit expenditures and certify milestones.
2. Interactive Digital Dashboard:
Create a public portal that shows budget usage and project progress in real-time so every citizen can see, question, and believe.
3. Legislative Oversight Hearings:
Mandate biannual sittings of the State Assembly’s Education Committee to ensure accountability.
4. Social Audits by PTAs:
Empower Parent-Teacher Associations and Alumni Associations to inspect schools and issue “Community Scorecards.”
5. Independent Financial Audits:
Conduct annual external audits by the Auditor-General, with publicly released reports.
Performance-Based Disbursements: Tie funding to real results, such as higher enrollment and improved exam scores.
6. Whistleblower Protections:
Create secure, anonymous channels for reporting mismanagement.
Prayers
Your Excellency, we respectfully and passionately urge you to take a stand that will echo through generations and *declare a state of emergency in education*. The gaps in our education system are not just administrative failures; they are moral ones. Every child denied a quality education is a loss to our society and a wound to our collective future.
Suffice to say that it is not too late. I believe in your heart and your resolve. With bold leadership, strategic investment, and unwavering commitment, we can rebuild our schools, empower our teachers, and restore faith in the power of learning. Our children are watching, and their futures hang in the balance.
Sincerely,
Saleh Adamu Kwaru
Concerned Citizen of Kano State
01st August, 2025