Billions in the Budget, Cracks in the Classroom: The Painful Reality of Kano Schoolchildren

Every morning in GSS Kumbotso, hundreds of students troop into classrooms that look more like abandoned buildings than learning centres. With cracked walls, leaking roofs and collapsed ceilings, the pupils sit on bare floors, clutching their notebooks while dust rises with every movement. For many of them, this has been their reality for almost a year.

This heartbreaking scene persists even as Kano State prides itself on being one of Nigeria’s most significant spenders on education. In the 2025 budget, the state allocated ₦168.35 billion to education—31 per cent of its total budget. This followed ₦95 billion in 2024 and ₦51.6 billion in 2023. On paper, it suggests a government placing strong emphasis on education. Nevertheless, on the ground, the story is different.

A recent visit to GSS Kumbotso showed classrooms that are unsafe for learning. Instead of desks, children sit on the cold floor. Instead of proper ceilings, there are gaping holes open to the sun and rain. “We come to school every day like this,” one student whispered, “but we are still trying our best to learn.”

Civic tech platform Monitng, which first exposed the situation, is calling for urgent action. “It is unacceptable that with this level of funding, children are sitting on the floor,” the group said.

The crisis goes beyond one school. UNICEF estimates that Kano has nearly one million out-of-school children, the highest in the country. Education experts say the poor state of facilities discourages attendance and worsens learning outcomes.

Interestingly, just days ago, the state government announced approval of ₦4.9 billion for new education projects—ranging from the renovation of technical colleges to the procurement of office furniture and accreditation exercises for higher institutions. Without a doubt, these projects are a welcome development. Yet, they do not eliminate the urgent need for the government to repair dilapidated basic schools across the states, such as GSS Kumbotso.

Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf maintains that education remains his administration’s top priority. Nevertheless, for the children sitting on bare floors today, promises mean little without visible action.

Until budget numbers translate into safe, dignified classrooms, thousands of Kano children will continue to learn in conditions no child should endure.