•Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State
Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has merged the Ministry of Higher Education with the Ministry of Education to boost education reforms.
The newly created Ministry of Education will have a Directorate of Higher Education overseeing tertiary institutions, and agencies like the Scholarship Board will now fall under the Ministry of Education.
The development has removed Deputy Governor Aminu Gwarzo as Commissioner for Higher Education, reports The Nation.
But Yusuf said the move aims to eliminate duplication, improve policy coordination, and reduce governance costs.
Gwarzo, who has reportedly received an impeachment notice from the House of Assembly – allegedly at the prompting of the governor – had doubled as Commissioner of Local Governments before he was removed and given another double role of Higher Education Commissioner.
His removal as Higher Education Commissioner is seen as a prelude to stopping him from representing the governor at government functions.
Governor Yusuf said merging the Ministry of Higher Education with the Ministry of Education would enhance efficiency, accountability, and education quality, securing a brighter future for Kano’s youths.
The Office of the Secretary to the State Government and Head of Service will ensure a seamless realignment of affected ministries.
A statement yesterday in Kano by the governor’s spokesman, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, explained that with the restructuring, the new entity will operate as the Ministry of Education, where the directorate will be headed by a Permanent Secretary and supported by the necessary personnel to ensure effective management of higher education institutions in the state.
“Under this restructuring, all agencies under the defunct Higher Education Ministry, such as the Scholarship Board, will return to the Ministry of Education, while state-owned universities and other higher educational institutes will also be supervised by the new directorate under the merged ministry.
“The move is part of the state government’s ongoing State of Education sector reform aimed at repositioning the sector, eliminating duplication of responsibilities, improving policy coordination across all levels of education and reducing cost of governance,” the governor said.
Yusuf said his administration remained committed to implementing far-reaching reforms that would revive the education sector and secure a brighter future for the younger generation.
The governor directed the offices of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) and the Head of Service (HoS) to ensure immediate realignment of the affected ministries and their respective departments.
