The Kano State Government has unveiled strategic plans to enhance support for girls through gender-responsive collaboration and equitable budget allocation to bridge gender disparities in learning.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Ali Haruna Makoda, made this known during a two-day Kano Girls Education Summit organised by Bridge Connect Africa Initiative in partnership with MALALA Foundation, Kano.
Dr. Makoda emphasized the need to strengthen budgetary support and policy implementation to advance gender equality and achieve sustainable development.
Highlighting the government’s financial commitment, Makoda disclosed that 29.79% of the 2024 state budget and 31.5% of the 2025 budget had been dedicated to education with a significant portion directed toward girls’ education programs.
According to him, the state had repaired over 70 grounded girl-child shuttle buses, reviewed the Girl-Child Policy, and supported less privileged girls through conditional cash transfers to encourage school attendance and retention.
The Technical Adviser to the Governor on Education Reforms, Haladu Muhammad, also underscored the economic and social benefits of investing in girls’ education, linking it to poverty reduction, improved healthcare, and women’s empowerment.
He added that the government’s Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE) had expanded access to secondary education for adolescent girls across the state.
The summit provided a platform for stakeholders to share insights, align strategies, and reaffirm commitments toward achieving inclusive and equitable education for all girls in Kano State.
The summit, themed “Investing in Her Future – Advancing Girls’ Education Through Equitable Budgeting,” is aimed at promoting sustained investment in girls’ education and improving access to quality learning opportunities for every girl in Kano State.
