Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani.
Kaduna State Government has reiterated its commitment to ensuring that every child of school age has access to basic education, describing education as a fundamental right rather than a privilege.
The Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Malam Mubarak Mohammed, stated this on Wednesday during the 2026/2027 School Enrolment Campaign advocacy at Sheikh Abubakar Gumi Market in Kaduna.
Mohammed, who spoke while addressing residents and stakeholders during the campaign, said the administration of Governor Uba Sani was determined to ensure that no child of school age was denied access to basic education.
According to him, “education is a right in Kaduna State under the Governor Uba Sani administration. Basic education is free and it is not a privilege. So, it is an offence for children of school age to roam the streets during school hours.”
He expressed concern over the high number of out-of-school children in Northern Nigeria but said Kaduna State had recorded significant progress in addressing the challenge through sustained government intervention.
The SUBEB chairman disclosed that the state government had succeeded in returning more than 360,000 children to school, thereby reducing the number of out-of-school children from over 500,000 previously found on the streets.
He urged parents and guardians to take advantage of the free basic education policy by enrolling their children and wards in schools, stressing that education remained one of the most effective means of transforming the lives of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
“Education is the greatest leveler which can elevate children of humble backgrounds to enviable heights,” he said, while appealing to parents to make the education of their children a priority.
Mohammed further disclosed that SUBEB had constructed more than 2,000 classrooms across the state to accommodate the growing number of pupils returning to school as a result of the enrolment drive.
The 2026/2027 School Enrolment Campaign was launched last Wednesday, with senior government officials, education stakeholders and SUBEB staff embarking on a road walk from the Kaduna State Secretariat to Sheikh Abubakar Gumi Market to sensitise residents on the importance of basic education.
During the advocacy exercise, five children voluntarily presented themselves for enrolment, prompting the SUBEB chairman to direct relevant officials to ensure their immediate enrolment in primary schools.
The campaign, he said, was part of the state government’s broader efforts to tackle the out-of-school children challenge and ensure that every child in Kaduna has the opportunity to acquire quality basic education.
