Kano State’s education reforms have received international recognition at the Parliament of the United Kingdom, with education leaders commending Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s commitment to improving literacy through sustained government investment, evidence-based policies and measurable learning outcomes.
In a statement signed by the Director -General, Media and Publicity Government House, Kano, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa and made available to newsmen stated that the recognition came during the International Parliamentary Forum on Reading Revolution held at the House of Lords, Westminster, London, where policymakers, parliamentarians, researchers and education experts from the United Kingdom and Nigeria explored ways to strengthen educational cooperation between the two countries.
The event, supported by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Nigeria and hosted by Lord Alton of Liverpool, spotlighted Kano State’s implementation of the Jolly Phonics literacy programme as a model of government-led education reform in Africa.
Unlike many literacy programmes across the continent that rely heavily on donor funding, participants noted that Kano’s reforms are financed by the state government, describing the initiative as a sustainable approach to improving foundational learning.
Representing Governor Yusuf at the forum, the Technical Adviser on Education Reform, Dr. Haladu Mohammed, said education remains the administration’s foremost priority, adding that the government’s investments in teacher recruitment, school infrastructure and literacy programmes were already yielding positive results.
He said the implementation of Jolly Phonics across public schools had improved children’s reading abilities, noting that Kano became the first state in Nigeria to adopt the United Kingdom’s Phonics Screening Check to assess pupils’ literacy progress.
According to him, the screening exercise has provided clear evidence that children are making measurable gains in reading proficiency.
Dr. Haladu further disclosed that the state government was extending its literacy reforms beyond conventional schools through the Almajiri education initiative to ensure that children in Qur’anic schools also benefit from quality foundational literacy.
He maintained that Kano’s experience demonstrates that sustainable education reform is best achieved through strong political leadership and government ownership rather than dependence on external donor support.
He added that the state’s progress had already attracted recognition from the African Union and expressed hope that Kano’s model would encourage other states in Nigeria and countries across Africa to adopt evidence-based literacy reforms.
Speaking at the forum, Chief Executive Officer of Universal Learning Solutions, Gary Foxcroft, praised Governor Yusuf for demonstrating that government investment in evidence-based education reforms could produce lasting improvements in learning outcomes.
Foxcroft described Kano as one of Africa’s leading examples of literacy reform and said the expansion of Jolly Phonics into Almajiri schools would further strengthen foundational education across the state.
He noted that Kano’s adoption of the UK’s Phonics Screening Check has provided robust evidence of improvements in children’s reading ability, adding that the achievements align with the findings of a recent African Union report, which highlighted Kano’s implementation of Jolly Phonics as a model for structured literacy reform across the continent.
The forum also recognised the contributions of Newcastle University researchers, Professor Pauline Dixon and Professor Steve Humble, whose independent studies demonstrated the positive impact of Jolly Phonics in Kano, including evidence that pupils successfully transferred their phonics knowledge into Hausa literacy.
Tributes were equally paid to former UK Schools Minister, Rt. Hon. Sir Nick Gibb, for championing systematic synthetic phonics in England, and to Chris Jolly OBE, whose philanthropic support facilitated the introduction of Jolly Phonics to Nigeria nearly two decades ago.
Also speaking, Kano State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Sheikh Ahmad Tijjani Sani Auwal, welcomed the government’s decision to integrate Jolly Phonics into Qur’anic schools through the Almajiri education reforms.
He said the initiative would improve literacy and numeracy while preserving the state’s religious heritage, ensuring that children in integrated Qur’anic schools acquire reading skills necessary for success in both religious and secular education.
According to him, the initiative reflects Governor Yusuf’s determination to provide every child in Kano with access to quality education regardless of the type of school they attend.
The forum was attended by education leaders from the United Kingdom and members of the Nigerian diaspora, including Mrs. Hindy Mohammed, Dr. Amina Abubakar, Professor Pauline Dixon and Professor Steve Humble.
