By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

The Kaduna Basic Education Accountability Mechanism (KADBEAM) has called for stronger investment in girls’ education, warning that sustaining gains in school enrolment will require urgent action to improve transition to secondary school, learning outcomes and school facilities.

The organisation made the call on Sunday in statement to mark the 2026 International Day of the Girl Child signed Rahila Baita Ishaku
Co-Chair, Civil Society, noting that although girls account for more than half of enrolment in public secondary schools, significant barriers continue to prevent many from progressing through the education system.

According to the 2025/2026 Annual School Census published by the Kaduna State Bureau of Statistics, girls constitute 49.5 per cent of public primary school enrolment, 51 per cent of junior secondary enrolment and 52 per cent of senior secondary enrolment.

The figures indicate progress towards gender parity, which KADBEAM attributed to sustained efforts by the Kaduna State Government, education agencies, development partners, parents and community stakeholders.

However, the accountability platform warned that the state must now focus on ensuring that more girls transition from primary to secondary school and acquire the literacy and numeracy skills needed to complete their education successfully.

“The task ahead is to help every girl progress through the system, from primary school to junior and senior secondary school, while learning effectively at every stage,” the organisation said in its statement.

KADBEAM expressed concern over disparities in girls’ participation across local government areas, identifying Soba, Ikara and Birnin Gwari among areas where girls continue to lag behind boys.

It said the availability of local government-level data in the annual school census provides an opportunity for the government to direct interventions towards communities with the greatest educational needs.

The organisation also highlighted concerns about learning outcomes, citing the Kaduna State Bureau of Statistics’ 2023 Learning Poverty Report, which found that girls were more likely than boys to score below minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics by Primary Six.

It stressed that improving enrolment alone would not guarantee educational success without deliberate efforts to strengthen foundational learning and support teachers.

KADBEAM further warned that inadequate water and sanitation facilities could undermine girls’ attendance, particularly during adolescence.

The 2025/2026 Annual School Census indicates that 55 per cent of public primary schools lack a safe water source, raising concerns about the conditions in which pupils are expected to learn.

The organisation called for increased investment in safe water, adequate toilets and other essential facilities, alongside the recruitment and deployment of more female teachers to underserved rural communities.

On government spending, KADBEAM welcomed provisions in the 2026 Approved Budget for girls’ and boys’ education, including initiatives by the State Universal Basic Education Board to reactivate mothers’ associations in 16 Local Government Education Authorities and engage mothers in 200 communities on girls’ education.

It urged the government to ensure timely implementation of the initiatives and track their impact on enrolment, retention and completion.

The group also called for stronger collaboration among the Ministry of Education, SUBEB, School-Based Management Committees, mothers’ associations and civil society organisations to remove barriers preventing girls from completing their education.

“Good data is the foundation of good planning, and the census gives all of us, government and civil society alike, a shared starting point,” KADBEAM said.

The organisation reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring progress through government data and community engagement, stressing that every girl deserves the opportunity to enrol in school, remain there and complete her education.

“Every girl who completes her education strengthens her family, her community and our state,” the statement added.

The International Day of the Girl Child is observed annually on October 11 to promote girls’ rights and highlight the challenges they face in accessing equal opportunities.