By Felix Khanoba
The Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) has said its intervention projects in Kano State are strengthening access to quality basic education, with nearly 4,000 classrooms delivered across the state and renewed investments in teacher recruitment aimed at improving learning outcomes.
UBEC Executive Secretary, Aisha Garba, stated this during education activities in Kano, where she accompanied the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa; the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad; and Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf on an inspection of UBEC-supported projects and the presentation of appointment letters to newly recruited teachers.
Garba said the inspection focused on classrooms constructed under the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, noting that the facilities are providing safer and more conducive learning environments while encouraging school enrolment, retention and academic success among pupils.
According to her, infrastructure development alone cannot guarantee quality education, stressing that competent and motivated teachers remain indispensable to achieving better learning outcomes.
She described the Kano State Government’s teacher recruitment programme as one of the country’s most significant investments in the education sector, adding that the sustained employment of teachers reflects the administration’s commitment to strengthening basic education.
Garba disclosed that the current administration in Kano has recruited more than 16,000 teachers, including the latest batch, saying the initiative is helping to reduce teacher shortages, particularly in underserved communities, while improving children’s access to quality instruction.
She observed that teacher shortages remain a major challenge in Nigeria and many other countries, especially in rural areas, making continuous investment in the teaching profession essential.
“The directive of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is clear. No child should be left behind. Every Nigerian child deserves access to quality education. Even where classrooms exist, without teachers, children cannot learn. That is why investments in teachers are investments in the future of our nation,” Garba said.
Addressing the newly recruited teachers, the UBEC boss described their appointment letters as symbols of renewed hope for schools, communities and the thousands of children whose future depends on quality education.
She added that the recruitment exercise comes at a time when UNESCO estimates that more than 44 million additional teachers are required globally to address existing shortages, noting that Kano’s sustained investment in the teaching workforce places it among governments taking practical steps to confront the challenge.
Garba commended Governor Yusuf for prioritising education and said closer collaboration among the Federal Government, UBEC and state governments remains crucial to delivering inclusive and equitable basic education nationwide.
She also praised the leadership of the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad, for driving reforms in the education sector. Drawing on her more than two decades of experience in education, she said the current pace of reforms demonstrates an exceptional commitment to improving learning outcomes across the country.
Earlier, Chairman of the Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Malam Yusuf Kabir, said the recruitment of the new teachers followed a transparent, merit-based process designed to attract qualified and committed personnel into the state’s basic and secondary schools.
He explained that the exercise was guided by the Kano State Teacher Policy, which introduced aptitude tests and other assessment measures for prospective teachers, describing the policy as a major step towards improving teacher quality and raising standards in the education sector.
Kabir stressed that effective deployment, supervision, mentoring and continuous evaluation of teachers would be critical to achieving the objectives of the recruitment exercise. He assured that education authorities would ensure the newly employed teachers are posted to areas with the greatest need while maintaining strong monitoring mechanisms to improve classroom performance.
He also appealed to communities, development partners, corporate organisations and traditional institutions to support government efforts in revitalising the education sector, saying sustainable improvements require collective responsibility.
The SUBEB chairman further commended Governor Yusuf for sustaining investment in education through teacher recruitment, school rehabilitation and other interventions aimed at rebuilding the state’s education system.
UBEC reaffirmed its commitment to working with state governments across the country to expand access to quality basic education through continued investment in school infrastructure, teacher development and learner-focused programmes.
