Gwani Dr Ali Abubakar Haruna MakodaDr Makoda said one of the programme’s major achievements was supporting the Kano State Government to conduct a household survey on out-of-school children, which produced credible data for planning education interventions.

He added that PLANE had also contributed to improved learning outcomes among primary school pupils through teacher capacity building and the large-scale distribution of teaching and learning materials.

Malam Bashir Baffa, Gwani Dr Ali Abubakar Haruna Makoda and Mr Ian Attfield

“The support we received from FCDO and PLANE has strengthened our education system. We have recorded remarkable improvements in learning outcomes and now have reliable data on out-of-school children to guide government policies and interventions,” he said.

The commissioner assured stakeholders that the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf would sustain the reforms introduced under the programme and continue collaborating with development partners to improve education in the state.

UK urges stronger local ownership

Delivering the keynote address, the Senior Education Adviser at the British High Commission, Ian Attfield, reaffirmed the United Kingdom’s commitment to supporting sustainable education reforms in Nigeria through strategic partnerships.

Mr Ian Attfield

Mr Attfield commended the Kano State Government and implementing partners for their commitment to improving education, describing the transition phase as an opportunity to consolidate achievements and strengthen government ownership of ongoing reforms.

He urged stakeholders to institutionalise successful interventions, invest in state capacity and sustain collaboration among government, communities and development partners to preserve the gains recorded under the programme.

Earlier, the PLANE State Team Lead in Kano, Malam Umar Lawan, described the transition workshop as an important platform for reviewing the programme’s achievements, lessons learnt and best practices.

Cross section of participants

He said the transition process was designed to ensure sustainability through stronger government ownership, institutional capacity and stakeholder collaboration.

Kano honours PLANE partners

As part of the event, the commissioner presented a Letter of Appreciation to the PLANE Programme Manager, represented by the Education Manager of Save the Children International, Stephen Sawa, in recognition of the programme’s contributions to education development in Kano.

The award particularly acknowledged PLANE’s donation of teaching and learning materials for the Accelerated Basic Education Programme (ABEP), aimed at supporting out-of-school and vulnerable children enrolled in learning centres across the state.

Dr Makoda commended PLANE, Save the Children International and other consortium partners for their technical support and investment in strengthening Kano’s education sector.

Cross Section of Participants

Receiving the award, Mr Sawa thanked the Kano State Government for its collaboration throughout the programme’s implementation and reaffirmed the commitment of Save the Children International and its partners to supporting efforts to improve learning outcomes for children.

UNICEF, civil society seek continuity

The Education Specialist at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Muntaka Mukhtar, also reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to supporting Kano State in promoting inclusive and equitable education.

Muntaka Mukhtar

He said the transition workshop offered stakeholders an opportunity to reflect on the programme’s achievements and develop practical strategies for sustaining reforms in education planning, data management, access and learning outcomes.

Mr Mukhtar urged the state government to demonstrate stronger ownership of the reforms through adequate funding, effective coordination and sustained collaboration with development partners.

The Co-chair of the Civil Society Organisations of the Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE), Dr Auwalu Halilu, said the programme had transformed the relationship between civil society organisations and government in Kano.

According to him, PLANE strengthened the capacity of civil society groups to engage government through evidence-based advocacy rather than confrontation.

He said K-SAFE has become increasingly self-reliant, mobilising resources to conduct school and public examination monitoring without donor funding.

Dr Halilu disclosed that the forum monitored 68 schools last year independently and has expanded the exercise this year to include external examinations across the state.

“Although PLANE is coming to an end, its legacies will remain visible in Kano State,” he said.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Community Aid-Connect (CAC), Sirajo Mahe Alkali, commended the FCDO for supporting interventions that expanded access to education for out-of-school children, girls and other vulnerable learners.

He highlighted the organisation’s partnership with PLANE in implementing the Digital and Remote Access School Instruction (DARASI) pilot project in Kano, which used community learning centres, radio instruction and digital technologies to reach underserved communities.

Mr Alkali called on governments, development partners and civil society organisations to sustain the programme’s successful interventions through increased domestic investment in education.

At the close of the workshop, Mr Attfield formally presented the PLANE transition report to the Director of Development Partners Coordination in the Kano State Ministry of Education, Lukman Tajo Siraj, on behalf of the commissioner, while the Director of Special Programmes at the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), Nura Ibrahim, received copies on behalf of the board’s Executive Chairman.

The workshop concluded with stakeholders endorsing key transition actions and reaffirming their commitment to sustaining the reforms introduced under the PLANE programme through stronger government leadership, institutional coordination and continued collaboration with development partners.