By Anwar Usman
Government Secondary School Kwakwaci, Kano, has a rich history of academic excellence spanning decades. Over the years, the school has produced thousands of graduates who have gone on to achieve greater things.
The Daily Reality reliably gathered that despite these notable achievements, the school is now facing significant challenges.
Many fear that Kwakwaci will be among the schools in Kano State that may cease to exist due to severe environmental and managerial problems that have plagued the institution.
These unresolved issues threaten to ultimately force the school to close its doors.
Part of the problems bedevilling the school include dilapidated classrooms, abandoned laboratories, and other infrastructural decay, further exacerbated by rampant theft of school facilities by hooligans living in the vicinity.
Neglect despite huge education allocations
The Daily Reality also gathered that this menace persists despite the state’s declaration of an emergency in the education sector and the allocation of massive funds to improve education in the state.
This persistent neglect raises uncomfortable questions about the priorities of the Kano State Government, which allocated a staggering ₦95 billion to the education sector in its 2024 budget and an additional ₦168,350,802,346.19 (representing 31.00% of the budget) in 2025, making education one of the most heavily funded sectors in the state.
Current state of the school
The once-proud institution has no gate to protect its infrastructure, giving people of all kinds unrestricted access to the premises.
A staffer of the school, who spoke under the condition of anonymity during an interview with our reporter, lamented how the school has been grappling with issues that threaten its very existence.
“At night or after school hours, people enter the school and steal whatever they want due to the absence of security personnel at the gate,” he said.
He added that, “That’s what makes it easy for people to engage in criminal activities like smoking, drug abuse, and other illegal acts.”
He further noted, “The school is located very close to a market, and people have taken advantage of that proximity to carry out illegal activities.”
Other schools suffering a similar fate
Kwakwaci is not the only school in this dire situation. Several other schools are either on the verge of collapse or desperately need renovation to continue operating.
Schools like Mai Kwatashi, GSS Tudun Bojuwa and many others in the rural communities have suffered from over a decade of neglect.
In the case of GSS Tudun Bojuwa, the school has no gate, students sit on the floor, and the classrooms lack doors and windows, among other distressing conditions.
It is evident that while the state government’s declaration of an emergency in education is a vital step, these persistent problems continue to undermine teaching and learning.
Response from the principal
When contacted, the principal of Government Secondary School Kwakwaci said he was not fully aware of the situation.
“The only thing I know is that the school has no junior secondary students because they are under the supervision of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), and they don’t send junior secondary students here anymore,” he said.
He attributed the lack of students to the high cost of living. “Most of the students come from areas like Kurna, Rijiyar Lemo, and Bachirawa.
“Many parents cannot afford the transport fare for their children, and that’s why the school has no junior classes.”
He added, “We only have SS2 and SS3 classes, and we have already appealed to stakeholders to reconsider the situation and send fresh students for junior secondary education.”
Government response
TDR also contacted the Kano State Ministry of Education through its Public Relations Officer, Usman Abdullahi, who referred us to the Executive Secretary of the Kano State Secondary Schools Management Board (KSSMB) for a comprehensive report on the condition of the school.
However, the Executive Secretary’s phone could not be reached.
Efforts to contact the PRO of the KSSMB also proved futile as there was no response to the calls and messages we sent to him at the time of compiling this report.
Many people believe that it is high time the government took decisive action to address the plight of these schools, especially Kwakwaci.
They also believe that that would help not only in revitalising education but also in curbing illegal activities by individuals who exploit the school’s deteriorating facilities.
