The Katsina State Government has stepped up efforts to tackle the growing out-of-school crisis, announcing the recruitment of more than 9,000 teachers as part of a wider plan to reform the education sector.
The Government says it is also addressing the poverty-related challenges that continue to keep many children away from classrooms across the State and the wider North-West region.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Jibia, disclosed this during an exclusive interview with Channels Television at his office in the State Secretariat on Friday, July 24, 2026.
Jibia identified multidimensional poverty as one of the major factors driving the out-of-school children crisis, noting that the challenge extends beyond Katsina to other parts of the North-West and several African countries.
As part of efforts to reverse the trend, the State Government has inaugurated a committee to examine how informal education can be integrated into the formal school system.
The initiative is aimed at helping to take more children off the streets and return them to classrooms.
The Commissioner also disclosed that Katsina had domesticated the National Policy on Safe Schools and commenced the implementation of measures aimed at improving security in schools across the State.
According to him, security has been strengthened, particularly in boarding schools, through the deployment of Mobile Police personnel, members of the Katsina State Community Watch Corps and vigilante groups.
He said every school now has between six and ten Community Watch Corps personnel working alongside other security agencies to protect students and staff.
Jibia added that school security committees had been established across the State to monitor developments and ensure threats were reported promptly.
The committees comprise principals, security personnel, traditional rulers, religious leaders and other community stakeholders.
Speaking on the Government’s investment in education, the Commissioner said more than 9,000 teachers had been recruited since the administration came into office.
He explained that the recruitment began with the employment of 7,000 teachers, followed by the automatic employment of first-class graduates from universities and other higher institutions into the education sector.
The Government recently recruited another 2,158 teachers, who have since been posted to primary and secondary schools across Katsina State.
Jibia praised Governor Dikko Radda for his commitment to reviving the education sector and called on teachers to respond to the Government’s efforts with greater dedication and professionalism.
He also disclosed that the Ministry was strengthening its quality assurance system to ensure teachers remain at their duty posts and deliver effective lessons.
According to him, the move is part of wider efforts to improve learning outcomes and rebuild public confidence in Katsina’s education system.
