Education stakeholders and School-Based Management Committees (SBMC) in Kano State have stressed the need to equip students with practical skills alongside formal education to prepare them for self-reliance and reduce dependence on government employment.

Chairman of the School-Based Management Committees (SBMC) in Kano State, Tijjani Haladu Baraya, said the skills training programme was important because education should not only prepare students to obtain certificates but should also equip them with practical knowledge that can enable them to earn a living after graduation.

Baraya explained that the initiative was designed to teach students various skills while they are still in school, stressing that having formal education does not necessarily guarantee automatic access to government employment.

According to him, the reality of the current employment market makes it necessary for students to acquire additional skills that would enable them to create opportunities for themselves rather than waiting for government jobs.

He said, “If you study, you will not necessarily get a government job,” adding that the programme was specifically introduced to teach children in schools practical skills that would enable them to rely on themselves after completing their education.

Baraya further emphasised the importance of encouraging female students to acquire vocational and entrepreneurial skills, noting that such knowledge could help women become economically independent and contribute meaningfully to their families and communities.

The SBMC chairman said the committees were fully supporting the initiative because students could graduate with both academic certificates and practical skills, which, according to him, would give them a better chance of becoming self-reliant.

He added that equipping students with skills would also enable them to support their parents and reduce the financial pressure on families, particularly at a time when employment opportunities were becoming increasingly competitive.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) in Kano State, Dalhatu Salhu Maijumuri, described the training of students in practical skills as a highly important initiative capable of producing significant benefits for students, families and society.

Maijumuri said the programme would have a far-reaching impact because students who acquired practical skills could use them to establish businesses or provide services for themselves instead of waiting indefinitely for formal employment.

According to him, the era when students completed their education and immediately secured government jobs had largely passed, making it necessary for the education system to respond to the changing realities of the labour market.

“Gone are the days when students finish school and they will immediately get a government job,” Maijumuri said, pointing to the intense competition for the limited employment opportunities available.

He explained that where an organisation had only a few vacancies, thousands of qualified applicants could compete for the same positions, making reliance solely on formal employment an increasingly difficult option for young people.

“For example, now if there is a vacancy for like ten personalities, you will see hundred thousand people jostling for it,” the PTA chairman said, stressing the need for students to develop alternative means of livelihood.

Maijumuri therefore urged stakeholders in the education sector to continue supporting skills acquisition programmes in schools, saying that practical training would give students the ability to become self-reliant and productive members of society.

He further said that empowering students with vocational and entrepreneurial skills would not only benefit the individuals involved but would also reduce pressure on government to provide jobs for every graduate.

The PTA chairman also maintained that investment in skills acquisition would benefit future generations because children who received both formal education and practical training would be better positioned to contribute to economic development and build sustainable livelihoods.

He said the combination of academic education and practical skills would therefore strengthen the education system and ensure that students were prepared not only to seek employment but also to create employment opportunities for themselves and others.

The Commander General of the Coalition for Community-Based Security Organisation (C-JTF), Kano State Command, Sani Elmansur, has urged the Kano State Government to strengthen and properly integrate community-based security groups into the state’s security architecture to address growing challenges of insecurity, drug abuse and street gang activities.

Elmansur made the call while offering recommendations on ways the government could improve security across Kano State, stressing that the complexity of contemporary security challenges requires stronger collaboration between conventional security agencies and community-based organisations.

According to him, the Kano State Government should bring together registered community-based security groups that have been established to support conventional security agencies, rather than allowing their activities to operate without adequate coordination and supervision.

Elmansur said the leadership of many of the recognised community security organisations possesses considerable knowledge of community safety and security matters, adding that their experience should be properly harnessed in the fight against crime.

He explained that community-based security personnel are not merely individuals who patrol neighbourhoods, but include leaders and members with knowledge of local security conditions and the ability to identify emerging threats within their communities.

The C-JTF commander further called for specialised training for government-established initiatives such as the “Anti-Phone Snatching” groups, saying their effectiveness could be improved if they were exposed to modern security techniques and professional methods of crime prevention.

According to Elmansur, the government should ensure that such groups receive adequate training in modern security operations, surveillance, intelligence gathering, communication and appropriate responses to security threats.

He expressed concern over situations in which suspected street gangs or “Yan Daba” allegedly operate for long periods in some neighbourhoods without immediate intervention from conventional security personnel, despite reports being made by residents.

Elmansur said that in some instances, residents could report the activities of street gangs and wait for between one and two hours before security personnel arrive at the affected locations, a situation he said could expose residents and their property to unnecessary danger.

He, however, noted that security patrols and checkpoints alone may not be sufficient to deter criminal elements if the criminals are able to identify the security personnel and avoid their locations.

According to him, criminals may simply stay away from areas where they see security personnel conducting regular patrols, only to resume their activities after the officers leave, thereby reducing the effectiveness of conventional patrol strategies.

Elmansur therefore recommended the establishment of security posts in areas identified as hotspots for youth gangs and other criminal activities, saying such locations should have a continuous security presence rather than occasional patrols.

He said the government should identify neighbourhoods where large numbers of unruly youths and suspected criminal elements congregate and establish security structures that can remain operational around the clock.

The C-JTF commander explained that a system of continuous community surveillance would enable security personnel and community-based organisations to respond more quickly whenever suspicious activities are detected.

Elmansur also advocated stronger intelligence gathering at the grassroots, stressing that residents are often the first to notice unusual movements, gatherings or activities that could develop into serious security threats.

He maintained that if information about suspicious activities is obtained early and promptly transmitted to the appropriate security authorities, security agencies would have a better opportunity to prevent crimes before they occur.

According to him, the adoption of such a proactive security strategy would help reduce street violence, clashes and other forms of criminal activity within Kano metropolis and surrounding communities.

Elmansur emphasised that the objective of the recommendations is not to replace conventional security agencies, but to create stronger cooperation between them and properly trained, registered and coordinated community-based security organisations.

He urged the Kano State Government to consider a comprehensive framework for coordinating the various community security groups operating across the state, including clear responsibilities, reporting channels, training requirements and supervision.

The C-JTF commander said such coordination would prevent duplication of efforts and ensure that community security organisations complement the work of the police and other conventional security agencies.

He further stressed the importance of protecting the lives and property of residents, describing security as a collective responsibility requiring the participation of government, security agencies, community organisations and citizens.

“Those are some of the recommendations we are giving to the government in order to protect the lives and property of the people,” Elmansur said.

He added that a properly coordinated community-based security system, backed by modern training and effective collaboration with conventional security agencies, could significantly contribute to restoring peace and reducing criminal activities across Kano State.

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By Yusuf Danjuma Yunusa

Bashir el-Rufai, son of former Kaduna governor Nasir el-Rufai, unleashed a barrage of slurs at his brother, Bello, on Saturday morning.

Bashir, in a series of expletive-laden posts on X, attacked Bello over his recent political moves, accusing him of abandoning the family while he was aligned with Uba Sani, his father’s successor.

Sani, the incumbent governor of Kaduna, was a former ally of el-Rufai, but both men fell out after the former won the 2023 governorship election.

Following el-Rufai’s resignation from the All Progressives Congress (APC) in March 2025, Bello, who represents Kaduna north federal constituency, remained in the ruling party.

However, on May 7, 2026, Bello eventually defected from the APC to join his father in the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

Commenting on Saturday, Bashir alleged that his brother remained loyal to Sani until he realised he was being “dumped”, after which he began talking about family loyalty.

“Stuck with Uba Sani until he realized he is being dumped then suddenly remembered family loyalty and moved to ADC. Where was he since? Purely serving his interest,” Bashir wrote.

He accused his brother of being neutral while others criticised the Kaduna state governor.

Bashir also alleged that Bello asked him to “pipe down my criticism of his former boss,” presumably Sani.

One of Bashir’s tweets. The expletives have been redacted.
“At this stage in my life, I hate nonsense,” he added, while calling his brother a hypocrite.

Bashir also made several other allegations against his brother in the X posts, some of which were later deleted.

The allegations bordered on fertility status and unsubstantiated drug use.

Their father, el-Rufai, has been in custody since February 2026 over alleged financial impropriety during his tenure as governor of Kaduna between 2015 and 2023.

On April 13, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned him at the Kaduna high court on an amended nine-count charge bordering on alleged fraud and abuse of office.

The Department of State Services (DSS) is also prosecuting el-Rufai before the federal high court in Abuja over allegations of wiretapping.