Kaduna Unveils Groundbreaking School Safety Policy, Census Report….Reaffirms Commitment to Data-Driven Education Reform

By Uangbaoje Alex, Kaduna

Kaduna State has once again taken bold steps toward transforming its education landscape with the formal launch and dissemination of the Kaduna State Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools (KSSVFS) Policy and the 2024/2025 Annual School Census (ASC) Report.

Delivering a keynote address, during the dissemination workshop in Kaduna on Wednesday, Professor Abubakar Sani Sambo, Honourable Commissioner for Education, described the event as a major milestone in the state’s commitment to safe, inclusive, and data-driven education.

“These are not just routine documents; they represent our coordinated effort to build a resilient, secure, and equitable education system,” he declared.

According to him, Kaduna has become the first state in Nigeria to domesticate the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools, tackling threats ranging from mass abductions and armed attacks to gender-based violence and public health emergencies.

“This policy is not meant to gather dust on a shelf. It’s a call to action and every stakeholder, school administrators, teachers, parents, and communities must actively make our schools safe havens for learning,” Professor Sambo said.

The Commissioner also emphasized the critical role of the 2024/2025 ASC Report, which offers granular, disaggregated data on enrolment, teacher distribution, infrastructure, and equity indicators. 

“This report empowers us to make real-time, evidence-based decisions. It’s the backbone of educational planning, budgeting, and reform tracking,” he said.

Earlier in the event, Statistician General of Kaduna State, Baba Bukar Alhaji, noted that the ASC process was the result of painstaking collaboration between MDAs, school administrators, and partners. 

“This data tells a story, not just of progress, but also of the work that lies ahead and I’m calling for strategic use of the findings to close gaps and improve learning outcomes,” he said.

Project Coordinator, Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC), Ezra Angie praised the government’s leadership in embracing both safety and data as twin pillars of education reform. 

“The current administration has hit the ground running. We’re supporting the transition to a digital Management Information System that will ensure future data collection is faster, more accurate, and fully aligned with national policy,” he explained.

Samuel Achimugu, Deputy National Team Lead for PLANE, on his part spotlighted Kaduna’s proactive policy environment. 

“Kaduna is not just adopting frameworks; it is implementing them,” he said. 

He applauded the newly signed violence-free schools policy and highlighted Kaduna’s track record in timely and transparent data reporting, noting “The state is using data to attract investment, plan effectively, and lead by example.”

UNICEF’s Hussein Bala Habu, speaking on behalf of the Chief of Field Office, echoed the call for action. 

“We’ve collected and analyzed the data, now it’s time to use it,” he stressed. 

He confirmed UNICEF’s ongoing support for digitizing the school census and praised Kaduna for its leadership in addressing learning poverty.

Also present were representatives from Save the Children International (SCI), AGILE, the Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), KADSSQAA, and various civil society organizations, all of whom reiterated support for the implementation of both the KSSVFS policy and the ASC findings.

As Kaduna sets the pace for other Nigerian states, Professor Sambo reaffirmed the government’s dedication to ensuring every child learns in a safe, supportive, and enabling environment. 

“The decisions we make today,” he said, “will define the future of Kaduna’s children tomorrow,” Professor Sambo added.