Kano Pledges To Sustain Education Reforms As UK-Funded PLANE Programme Ends

The Kano State Government has pledged to sustain the education reforms introduced under the United Kingdom-funded Partnership for Learning for All in Nigeria (PLANE) programme as the five-year initiative winds down.

The Commissioner for Education, Dr Ali Haruna Makoda, made the commitment on behalf of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf at the PLANE Transition Workshop held in Kano.

Makoda said the state would consolidate the gains recorded under the programme by strengthening education planning, improving teacher development, expanding access to quality learning materials and ensuring more children receive quality education.

He said the Yusuf administration remained committed to prioritising education as a key driver of the state’s development.

The commissioner commended the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, PLANE, Save the Children International and other consortium partners for supporting reforms in Kano’s education sector.

According to him, the programme enabled the state to generate credible data on out-of-school children through a household survey, providing government with evidence to design targeted interventions aimed at reducing the number of children outside the school system.

He added that PLANE also improved foundational literacy and numeracy through teacher training and the provision of teaching and learning materials across public schools.

Makoda assured development partners that the state would institutionalise the reforms introduced under the programme and continue investing in policies that improve learning outcomes.

He also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening collaboration with local and international partners to sustain the programme’s achievements.

As part of the event, the commissioner presented a letter of appreciation to the PLANE programme, received by the Education Manager of Save the Children International, Stephen Sawa, in recognition of its contributions to education development in Kano, particularly its support for the Accelerated Basic Education Programme.

The workshop attracted representatives of the British High Commission, UNICEF, development partners, civil society organisations, education stakeholders and senior government officials, who endorsed transition plans aimed at ensuring government ownership and the sustainability of the reforms.