KATSINA — The Katsina State Government has inaugurated the committee for the 2025/2026 Annual School Census as part of efforts to strengthen educational planning and improve access to quality education across the state.
The committee was inaugurated by the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Sulaiman Jibiya, who said the exercise reflects the commitment of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda to improving the Education Management Information System (EMIS).
Jibiya described the Annual School Census as a key exercise aimed at generating accurate and reliable data on all educational institutions in the state for planning, budgeting, policy formulation, monitoring, and decision-making.
According to him, the committee is responsible for coordinating and supervising the census across public and private schools in Katsina State.
The exercise will cover Early Childhood Care Development and Education centres, primary schools, junior and senior secondary schools, technical and vocational institutions, integrated Qur’anic schools, and other recognised learning centres.
The commissioner said the committee would ensure accurate data collection, validation, harmonisation, and compliance with national EMIS guidelines.
He added that members were drawn from key institutions, including the State Universal Basic Education Board, Science and Technical Education Board, State Agency for Mass Education, the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Local Government Education Authorities, and development partners.
Jibiya stressed that the success of the census would improve educational planning, service delivery, and equitable access to education in the state.
Earlier, the Director of Policy, Research and Statistics, Nasiru Ahmed, urged committee members to avoid lapses experienced in previous exercises and work towards securing the Hope-EDU DLI 8 reward valued at about $554 million through timely completion of the exercise by November 2026.
Prof. Saifullahi Sani Matazu
In his remarks, the Statistician General of Katsina State, Saifullahi Sani Matazu, assured stakeholders that the committee would carry out the assignment with professionalism and diligence.
