…says school feeding boosting enrolment, retention

By Joseph Erunke, Abuja

The Senior Special Assistant to the Kaduna State Governor on the School Feeding Programme, Fauziya Buhari-Ado, has applauded Governor Uba Sani’s education reforms, describing the state’s school feeding initiative as a major driver of increased school enrolment, improved pupil retention and better learning outcomes.

Buhari-Ado gave the commendation in Abuja after receiving an Award for Excellence and Commitment to Education Advancement at the 2026 Annual Education Summit of the Education Correspondents Association of Nigeria, ECAN.

She dedicated the honour to Governor Uba Sani’s administration, saying the recognition reflected the government’s unwavering commitment to improving access to quality education through strategic investments and child-centred social intervention programmes.

According to her, the Kaduna State School Feeding Programme has continued to encourage more children to enrol in school, remain in classrooms and benefit from improved welfare, owing to the consistent support and leadership provided by the governor.

“The success of the school feeding programme is a testament to Governor Uba Sani’s commitment to education and the wellbeing of Kaduna children,” she said, adding that the award would inspire greater efforts toward advancing education in the state.

Buhari-Ado further praised the governor’s wider development agenda, noting that his investments in education infrastructure, social protection initiatives and human capital development had transformed the education landscape in Kaduna and expanded learning opportunities for thousands of children.

She also expressed gratitude to ECAN for the recognition, describing the award as both an honour and a challenge to sustain efforts aimed at strengthening the education sector.

The ECAN summit brought together policymakers, education experts, journalists and development partners to review ongoing reforms and strategies for improving Nigeria’s education system.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, challenged education correspondents to embrace data-driven journalism by leveraging the Nigeria Education Data Infrastructure Management System (NEDIMS) to track learning outcomes, promote transparency and hold stakeholders accountable.

Also speaking, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, and the Executive Secretary of the Universal Basic Education Commission ,UBEC, Aisha Garba, stressed the need for stronger collaboration among government institutions, development partners and the media to sustain reforms and improve education delivery nationwide.