Several factors, including cultural norms, socioeconomic challenges, gender barriers, and logistics, among others, have long threatened girls’ access to education in Kano State.
Many girls often travel a long distance on foot or rely on costly and unsafe transportation to access a school, fueling the decline in retention and completion rates after enrollment.
Fatima Usman Isma’il, a Ring Road Area resident in Nasarawa LGA, is among the many students.
For years, the 14-year-old Fatima woke up before dawn daily, determined to make it to Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Magwan, on time.
At that time, the streets at Ring Road begin to wake. Hawkers arrange their goods, children dart between stalls, and keke Napep (commercial rickshaws) honkings fill the air.
“GGSS Magwan,” she says to the several Keke drivers she stopped one morning. Unfortunately, she could not pay the N200 they all charged her. Frustrated, she trekked to school but missed the first lesson.
Fatima and a classmate
“When we were in the Junior class, there were no buses, so we struggled to get to school on time and even missed some lessons. One time, we agreed that I would pay 200 naira. But when I gave him 500 naira, he gave me 200 as change and zoomed off,” she says.
989,234 Children Out of School in Kano - UNESCO
This is a contributing factor to the about 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, with Kano topping the list with 989,234 children, according to a UNESCO report.
This is despite Kano State's free and compulsory education policy.
But here is the good news: In January, the state government resuscitated the transportation of schoolgirls to fix the problem.
Seventy buses were assigned to move public secondary school students in the metropolis.
The white colored buses, marked with a red and red slogan “Girl Child Initiative,” were stationed at strategic routes to convey students to school at just N100 to and fro.
The students usually pay the driver N50 when he drops them at school in the morning and another N50 when he drops them at their bus stop after school.
Amina Kasiim, Coordinator of Girl Child Education, Kano Ministry of Education
The Coordinator of Girl Child Education in the State Ministry of Education, Amina Kasiim, said this is aimed at ensuring safe transportation, eliminating cost barriers, and increasing enrollment and school attendance of the girl child in schools.
Success Stories
Fatima, who has trekked to school severally, is one of the many beneficiaries. She revealed that with the government-provided bus arriving at her doorstep every morning, her life has changed.
“The bus has made it possible for me to go to school without worrying about how I will get there,” Fatima shares with a shy smile. “Now, I dream of becoming a Medical Doctor,” she adds.
Following the intervention, Habiba Muhammad Maude, a student of Government Girls Senior Secondary School Dukawuya, says that she no longer misses the first classes in school.
Habiba Muhammad Maude in class
“The buses come to pick us up around 7 - 7:30 a.m., and this has made me meet the first period in school against before. My wish is to be a journalist, and I’m working towards that already.”
Apart from the students, teachers of public schools are also beneficiaries of the program. Malama Rabi Ibrahim, who spent N600 on transportation fees daily, now pays N100 to school.
“With the hike in fuel price, I pay N600 daily from my house in Mariri Hotoro to the school where I teach. But with the buses, I pay just N100 daily,” he says.
Boosting Enrollment
Schools have reported an increase in female enrollment since the buses began operating, just as consistent attendance led to better academic performance, according to the Principal of GGSS Dukawuya, Halima Ali Kabir.
Halima Ali Kabir, the principal of GGSS, Dukawuya
“All our classes are filled with students now, so frankly speaking, you can’t compare the attendance with what we had last year. And presently, parents still come with the children looking for admission because of convenience.”
Aisha Sunusi, a mother of seven, explains how the initiative has influenced her perspective. “When my daughter started taking the bus to school, I saw her confidence grow. Now, I encourage my nieces to join her. Education is changing our family’s future.”
Buses Not Enough
While stakeholders are appreciative of this initiative, some of the buses are overwhelmed by the number of students.
For instance, the three 18-seater homa buses assigned to move students of Government Girls Secondary (GGSS) Sharada are not enough for the over 3,000 girls in the school.
Amina Ahmad, a student of the school, is usually always stranded while waiting for the bus.
Amina Ahmad of GGSS, Sharada
“The buses are helping, but they are too small compared to the number of students. So we still come to school late. And because the buses are small, the buses are overloaded. So, we want the government to add more buses to attend to us.”
Responding, Amina Kasiim, who doubles as the officer who oversees the transportation of female students in the state, linked some students' lateness to their failure to leave their homes early. She urged parents to release their children on time to meet the school buses.
Expanding The Initiative For All
While the buses are improving girls’ education in the city, they also appear to be increasing the rural/urban divide in the education sector, as many girls cannot access school buses in the villages.
But the state Commissioner for Education, Umar Haruna Doguwa, understands this fact, promising that “plans are underway to add more buses and extend routes to underserved areas.”
Doguwa further said, “These buses are not just vehicles; they are symbols of hope. They’ve given us the chance to reach students who were previously out of our grasp.”
To sustain the initiative, Doguwa said the administration would continue to ensure full maintenance of the vehicles to actualize its vision of improving the quality of education in the state.
“I am happy to inform you that the Governor, Alh. Abba Kabir Yusuf is always ready to give the needed maintenance to these vehicles so that our children attend school on time,” he assured.
Through this solution, Kano State is proving that with targeted interventions, education can be made accessible to all. However, expanding the initiative to the over 10,000 secondary schools across the State and six million students will reshape the education sector in the long run.
