Kano education ministry reviews framework to return out-of-school girls to learning
By Precious Ebere-Chinonso Obi
Kano State Ministry of Education has conducted a technical review and validation workshop to domesticate the Reclaiming Education (REED) framework to expand educational re-entry opportunities for adolescent girls and young women whose education has been interrupted.
The initiative, supported by Malala Fund through its implementing partner, DO Take Action, seeks to strengthen Kano State’s school re-entry guidelines and establish sustainable pathways for adolescent girls, married adolescent girls and adolescent mothers to return to learning, remain in school and complete their education.
The Ministry’s Director of Public Enlightenment, Musbahu Aminu Yakasai, disclosed this in a press release issued on October 15, 2026. The workshop, held at the Career Services Centre, Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kano, brought together education stakeholders, development partners, civil society organisations and representatives of relevant institutions.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Education, Gwani Dr. Ali Haruna Abubakar Makoda, represented by the Technical Adviser to the Governor on Educational Reforms, Haladu Muhammed, emphasised the importance of collective action in developing inclusive education policies that address the challenges faced by disadvantaged girls and young women.
He urged participants to contribute their professional expertise and practical experience to ensure the framework adequately responds to the educational needs of affected learners. He also reaffirmed the state government’s commitment to strengthening school re-entry guidelines and expanding access to education.
Speaking at the workshop, Precious Ebere-Chinonso Obi, Executive Director of DO Take Action, the implementing partner for Malala Fund on the REED initiative, provided clarity on the framework’s vision and objectives, emphasising the need to move beyond policy development to effective implementation.
She explained that the REED framework is designed to bridge the gap between policy commitments and practical action, serving as an operational tool to support Kano State in translating its school re-entry guidelines into measurable educational outcomes. She further emphasised that achieving this goal requires a state-owned approach that reflects Kano’s unique educational, institutional and sociocultural realities.
Encouraging all stakeholders to take ownership of the framework, she highlighted the importance of drawing on their understanding of local cultural dynamics, existing institutional structures and implementation challenges to develop practical and sustainable solutions.
Her remarks reinforced the need for a framework that not only facilitates school re-entry but also addresses the barriers that prevent adolescent girls, married adolescent girls and adolescent mothers from completing their education.
The Director of Planning, Research and Statistics of the Ministry explained that the review was intended to strengthen Kano State’s re-entry guidelines and the REED/TEWS framework, ensuring alignment with relevant national and state policies, institutional structures and implementation systems.
During the workshop, project consultant Umma Rakana Muhammad presented an overview of the draft framework, highlighting its key components, implementation strategies and proposed mechanisms for supporting girls and young women whose education has been disrupted.
Participants subsequently examined the draft document, identified existing gaps and proposed recommendations to improve its relevance, practicality and long-term sustainability.
Discussions focused on ensuring that the framework reflects the realities of Kano State while establishing effective pathways for affected girls and young women to return to school, continue learning and successfully complete their education.
The workshop represents a significant step towards strengthening inclusive and equitable education in Kano State, with a renewed emphasis on translating policy commitments into practical, culturally responsive and sustainable interventions.
Through the REED initiative, the Kano State Government and its development partners aim to create an enabling environment where adolescent girls and young women, regardless of the circumstances that interrupted their education, have meaningful opportunities to return to learning and complete their education..
