In a significant move to tackle the issue of out-of-school children, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is set to launch the distribution of school uniforms for Primary 1 pupils across the state. The event is scheduled for Monday, January 13, 2025, at the Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano.

The initiative, part of the administration’s commitment to addressing the problem of out-of-school children, will see over 789,000 male and female pupils in 7,092 public schools across the 44 Local Government Areas in the state receive sets of uniforms. This effort aims to promote school enrollment and ensure that every child of school age has the opportunity to access quality education, thereby reducing the number of out-of-school children in Kano.

Governor Yusuf’s administration recognizes the financial challenges faced by indigent parents in meeting the educational needs of their children. By providing school uniforms, the government aims to support these families and demonstrate that education remains a cornerstone of its agenda for even development across the state.

“By prioritizing the needs of young learners, the government seeks to empower the next generation with the tools they need to succeed and contribute positively to society,” stated Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs, in the press release.

The official launch event will take place at 1:00 pm, with Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf personally overseeing the distribution process. This gesture underscores the administration’s dedication to improving educational access and outcomes for all children in Kano State.

The People’s Redemption Party (PRP) has extended its congratulations to Nigerians on the occasion of the New Year, expressing hopes for better days ahead. In a press release signed by Abba Sule Namatazu, National Vice Chairman (North-West), the PRP highlighted the challenges faced by Nigerians in 2024 and called for improved governance and accountability.

“The PRP wishes to use this opportunity to congratulate Nigerians on the occasion of a happy New Year. May our days be long to witness and celebrate many more new years in good health and prosperity,” the statement read.

Reflecting on the past year, the PRP noted that 2024 had been a trying period for many Nigerian families and businesses, with the standard of living plummeting nationwide and the nation’s currency nose-diving against benchmark currencies. “2024 has been a trying period for many Nigerian families and businesses as the standard of living plummets nationwide and the nation’s currency nose-dived against the benchmark currencies; poverty, insecurity, and chaos spread,” the PRP stated.

The party saluted the courage and resilience of Nigerian families and prayed for better days ahead. “We salute the courage and resilience of Nigerian families and pray for better days ahead,” the statement added.

The PRP emphasized that Nigerians deserve a much better standard of living, given the country’s 64 years of self-rule and 25 years of uninterrupted democracy. “Having attained 64 years of self-rule and 25 years of uninterrupted democracy, the PRP believes that Nigerians deserve a much better standard of living than what it is today where basic necessities of life are beyond the reach of many families,” the party asserted.

The PRP criticized the poor quality of leadership since 1999, attributing Nigeria’s status as the “poverty capital of the world” to self-serving, inept, and visionless leaders. “It is unacceptable that in 25 years of uninterrupted democratic rule, Nigeria has become the ‘poverty capital of the world’ where life expectancy is among the lowest in the world. Nigeria has one of the highest infant mortality rates and has consistently featured at the apex of the global corruption index and at the bottom of the human development index. This is attributable to poor quality of leadership since 1999,” the PRP stated.

The party also expressed concern over plans by some states and the federal government to privatize public schools, warning that such moves would result in more youths being out of school and turning to crime. “The PRP is also aware of plans by some states and federal governments to privatize the few public schools in the country which will result in sending more youths out of school, and into the world of hopelessness and crime,” the statement read.

Addressing the issue of insecurity, the PRP called for a concerted effort involving all stakeholders to confront the problem head-on. “The spreading insecurity bedeviling some states is a cause for concern not only to the affected states but to the country as a whole and the sub-region in general,” the PRP noted.

The party also criticized the government’s handling of the minimum wage issue, urging stakeholders to begin implementing the minimum wage to avert possible industrial action. “We are disappointed that more than a year since the beginning of agitation for salary increase, and months after the passage of the national assembly act on minimum wage, neither the government nor the private sector has fully implemented it,” the PRP stated.

The PRP called on the federal government to rescind policies that resulted in high prices of petroleum products and increased poverty, advocating for the ban of imported petroleum derivatives that can be produced locally. “The recent increase in prices of petrol and other petroleum derivatives has brought the economy to its knees,” the party asserted.

In conclusion, the PRP urged Nigerians to demand good governance and accountability from their leaders and to fully participate in the democratic process. “We call on Nigerians to rise up and demand good governance and accountability from our leaders, and to discharge their responsibilities in every sphere of nation-building,” the statement concluded.

In a bid to modernize information dissemination across Kano State, Hon. Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, met today with Information Officers from the 44 Local Government Council Areas in his office. The meeting underscores the Commissioner’s commitment to empowering Information Officers and strengthening the state’s information dissemination system.

During the meeting, Hon. Waiya pledged to provide working materials to all Local Government Information Officers, aiming to enhance their capacity and productivity. “I will do my best to enhance the capacity and productivity of our Information Officers,” said Comrade Waiya.

The Commissioner’s initiative reflects his dedication to ensuring that citizens are fully informed about government programs and activities. By equipping Information Officers with the necessary tools and resources, the state aims to achieve a more efficient and effective communication system.

The meeting, organized by the Greater Kano Initiative, highlighted the importance of collaboration between the state government and local government Information Officers. It also emphasized the need for a unified approach to information dissemination, ensuring that accurate and timely information reaches every corner of Kano State.

Comr Abdussamad Umar, Information Technology and Media Publicity representative for the Hon. Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs, signed the press release, signaling the official commitment to this transformative initiative.