In his remarks, the Commissioner for Education, Gwani Ali Haruna Makoda, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Bashir Baffa, stated that Kano State is sending a clear message about the safety and dignity of every child in the state. He stressed that the safety of children in Kano is non-negotiable.
Dr. Makoda further noted that allocating 31 percent of the Kano State budget to education is not merely symbolic but a strategic decision to shape the future of Kano through classrooms, not speeches. He emphasised that the government is implementing various policy reforms to strengthen the education system, warning that no reform will succeed if children do not feel safe. According to him, learning cannot be built on fear, confidence cannot grow in unsafe classrooms, and quality education cannot be achieved when children are afraid to speak.
The Commissioner added that Kano State already has safeguarding structures in place, including guidelines, referral pathways, and clearly defined roles. However, he stressed that these systems must serve as lifelines in practice, not just documents. He explained that the safeguarding short messages initiative is important because it translates safeguarding from policy into daily classroom practice and empowers children to speak up about safety.
In a statement signed by Alhassan Hassan Abba, Deputy Director Public Relations and Communication officer, SUBEB Kano, said the
Commissioner called on teachers to build trust with learners, noting that trust between teachers and pupils strengthens the overall culture of schools, especially at the classroom level. Dr. Makoda also urged school leaders to uphold the trust placed in them to protect learners, warning that whenever a child is harmed, silenced, intimidated, or abused, the entire system has failed.
He reiterated the government’s strong commitment to the initiative, noting that although the short messages may appear simple, their impact should not be underestimated, before officially launching the safeguarding short messages.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Executive Chairman of Kano SUBEB, Yusuf Kabir, said the safeguarding short messages are designed to empower learners with knowledge about safety and respect, thereby reinforcing a culture of safeguarding in schools where every child feels protected, heard, and valued. He added that the messages were deliberately crafted in simple and easy-to-understand language, making them powerful tools for promoting safety awareness.
Malam Yusuf expressed gratitude to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and PLANE for their continued support toward improving basic education. He highlighted their contributions in teacher capacity building, provision of instructional materials, and the establishment of community learning hubs, among others, and assured that the gains recorded would be sustained.
He also commended the safeguarding consultant, Fatima Bello, for her dedicated training and mentorship, which he said has helped educators clearly understand what safeguarding entails and recognise its critical importance to the wellbeing and success of learners.
In his goodwill message, the Education Adviser to the FCDO, Joseph Walls, commended the commitment of the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, to reforming the education sector. He also applauded the SUBEB Chairman for strengthening safeguarding efforts and expressed optimism that the short messages initiative would further promote pupils’ safety, character development, and their ability to live and learn safely in schools.
The National Team Lead of PLANE, Olu Boyega, stated that the safeguarding short messages initiative is not a one off sensitisation campaign but a structured behavioural approach. He explained that delivering the messages in daily segments over the course of a week helps reduce cognitive overload, reinforces learning through repetition, and normalises safeguarding language within classrooms.
He added that the use of cue cards strengthens visual memory and improves retention, particularly among younger learners. While many systems focus heavily on adult training and policy development areas where SUBEB has already made significant investments Dr. Obenga noted that consistent child level engagement has often remained a critical gap.
According to him, the initiative directly addresses this gap by making safeguarding proactive, equipping children with knowledge and confidence before harm occurs, and aligning fully with existing state systems. He further commended Kano State for establishing a functional safeguarding team within SUBEB, a dedicated safeguarding desk, trained master trainers, sustained budgetary support, and a statewide rollout across all 44 LGAs, clear evidence of a shift from project-based interventions to an institutionalised, government led safeguarding practice.
Climax of the event was the demonstration and presentation of the safeguarding short messages, followed by official launch and formal handover to schools.
