Kano govt decries parents selling free school uniforms

The Kano State Government has raised alarm over reports that some parents are selling free school uniforms donated to their children by the state in a desperate bid to feed their families.

Commissioner for Education, Alhaji Ali Haruna Makoda, disclosed this troubling development during an interactive session with journalists, describing the act as both a reflection of deep poverty and a sabotage of the government’s effort to reduce the number of out-of-school children.

“This is heartbreaking. Can you imagine parents selling the uniforms of their children, just to eat?” Makoda lamented. “We even discovered that in one of the local government areas, some parents were caught selling these uniforms.”

Under the state government’s State of Emergency declared in the education sector, over 800,000 school uniforms were distributed to pupils in public primary schools. Alongside this, the government has also been providing free books, biros, pencils, and other learning materials.

Despite these efforts, the Commissioner revealed that many parents have withdrawn their children from school and taken them to farms instead — a trend he said has worsened the already alarming number of out-of-school children in the state.

Makoda attributed the challenge to a mix of ignorance and abject poverty, noting that while the state offers free and compulsory basic education, many families are too impoverished to prioritize schooling.

He further disclosed that Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration inherited what he described as “a failed and decayed education system,” but stressed that the government is committed to turning things around.

In line with this, the budgetary allocation to the education sector has increased from 29.75% in 2024 to 31.5% in the 2025 fiscal year — a move aimed at revitalizing infrastructure, personnel quality, and access to education.

Makoda also noted that the government recently procured and distributed 120,000 cartons of chalk to public schools, among other basic learning tools, to enhance classroom experiences for both teachers and students.

In October 2023, the Governor launched a major distribution of instructional materials worth billions of naira, which included textbooks, whiteboards, exercise books, school sandals, bags, white markers, and uniforms across all 44 local government areas of the state.

“What the present administration is doing in the education sector is a clear demonstration of its commitment to overhaul the system,” Makoda said. “Education remains our top priority, and we will continue to roll out sound policies to guarantee quality learning for every child in Kano.”