Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, has urged 4,900 newly recruited teachers and 3,688 education facilitators in Kano State to uphold professional standards, describing quality teaching as essential to building a globally competitive education system and advancing national development.
Speaking at the official presentation of appointment letters in Kano, northwestern Nigeria, Alausa praised Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s administration for prioritising education through investments in teacher recruitment, school infrastructure and learning outcomes.
Addressing the new recruits and education stakeholders, the minister described teaching as the foundation of national progress and urged beneficiaries to approach their responsibilities with dedication and commitment.
“You are the most important people in our society. If we have good teachers teaching Nigerian children, we will produce very good students,” Alausa said. “Please take your time, love them, nurture them and teach them well.”
He reminded the teachers that the opportunity carried significant responsibility, stressing that “much is given, much is expected.”
Kano Expands Education Workforce
Alausa commended Kano State’s decision to allocate 32 per cent of its budget to education, describing the move as a strong commitment to human capital development.
He said the recruitment of nearly 9,000 teachers and Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) Cohort V Facilitators forms part of a broader effort that has seen the state employ 16,000 teachers within three years.
According to the minister, the recruitment drive ranks among the most significant state-level education interventions in Nigeria in recent years.
“In some states, no single teacher has been recruited in decades. Here in Kano, the Governor has employed 16,000 teachers in just three years,” he said. “This is what human capital development looks like.”
The BESDA programme is a government-backed initiative designed to improve access to basic education, particularly for out-of-school children, a challenge that remains significant in parts of northern Nigeria.
Technology and Infrastructure Drive Education Reforms
Earlier, the minister inspected the Tarda Smart School in Ungogo Local Government Area, where he reaffirmed the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding technology-driven learning nationwide.
He described smart schools as a key component of Nigeria’s education transformation strategy, saying digital learning environments would equip students with skills required in the modern economy.
Alausa also visited Bayero University, Kano, before commissioning the newly constructed Government Girls Secondary School, Dangwaro. The project aims to expand access to quality education for girls and strengthen secondary education in the state.
The minister further praised Kano’s broader development efforts, including road reconstruction projects and the installation of solar-powered streetlights across the city.
He said the initiatives reflect an administration focused on improving living standards while supporting the development objectives of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The future of Nigeria is bright,” Alausa said. “The progress we have witnessed here demonstrates what is possible when leadership places education and people at the centre of governance.”
Governor Highlights Long-Term Education Goals
Governor Yusuf described the distribution of appointment letters as a milestone in Kano State’s education reform programme.
He said the recruitment of 4,900 permanent teachers and 3,688 BESDA Cohort V Facilitators was designed to ensure that schools have qualified and committed educators capable of improving learning outcomes.
According to the governor, education remains the cornerstone of his administration’s development agenda because it determines future opportunities for millions of children.
He added that the exercise goes beyond employment and represents an investment in the state’s long-term social and economic development.
Yusuf also thanked President Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Education, Minister of State for Education Professor Suwaiba Sa’id Ahmad and development partners for supporting efforts to strengthen education delivery across Kano State and Nigeria.
The recruitment programme comes as governments across Africa seek to improve education quality, expand access to learning and equip young people with skills needed for an increasingly technology-driven global economy.
