Kaduna: Basic Education Is a Right, Not a Privilege — Uba Sani

By Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensuring that every child of school age in the state has access to basic education before the end of his tenure.

The Executive Chairman of the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Malam Mubarak Mohammed, disclosed this on Wednesday during the 2026/2027 School Enrollment Campaign advocacy at Sheik Abubakar Gumi Market in Kaduna.

Mohammed said the governor considers basic education a fundamental right of every child in Kaduna State and has made efforts to remove barriers preventing children from attending school.

According to him, “education is a right in Kaduna State under the Governor Uba Sani administration. Basic education is free and not a privilege.”

He warned that children of school age should not be allowed to roam the streets during school hours, stressing the responsibility of parents and guardians to ensure that their children are enrolled in school.

Mohammed expressed concern over the large number of out-of-school children across Northern Nigeria, while commending the Kaduna State Government for its efforts to address the challenge.

He said the administration had succeeded in returning more than 360,000 children to school, reducing the number of out-of-school children in the state from more than 500,000.

“Governor Uba Sani has successfully brought back more than 360,000 children to schools. This effort has cut the number of out-of-school children from over 500,000,” he said.

The SUBEB chairman urged parents and guardians to take advantage of the government’s free basic education policy by enrolling their children in school.

He described education as “the greatest leveler,” capable of empowering children from disadvantaged backgrounds to achieve their full potential.

Mohammed further disclosed that SUBEB had constructed more than 2,000 classrooms to accommodate the increasing number of pupils and improve access to basic education across the state.

The 2026/2027 School Enrollment Campaign was launched last Wednesday as part of efforts to increase school enrollment and reduce the number of out-of-school children in Kaduna State.

Government officials, education stakeholders and SUBEB staff participated in an advocacy march from the State Secretariat to Sheik Abubakar Gumi Market, where speeches and awareness activities were held to encourage parents to send their children to school.

During the campaign, five children voluntarily indicated their interest in enrolling in school. Mohammed subsequently directed relevant officials to ensure that the children were enrolled in primary school.

The campaign is part of the state government’s broader efforts to improve access to basic education and ensure that children of school age are given the opportunity to acquire foundational knowledge and skills.