As Artificial Intelligence (AI) transforms classrooms across the globe, Kano State finds itself at a crossroads—where futuristic private schools embrace digital learning while rural public institutions remain stuck in the past.
While schools like Abu Bilal Academy and Hybrid International School in Kano city are deploying AI tools like ChatGPT to personalise learning and ease teachers’ workloads, most public schools across the state remain without electricity, let alone internet connectivity. In villages like Tsakuwa, Baita, and Jili, students still sit on bare floors, share overcrowded classrooms, and learn without textbooks, labs, or computers.
This stark contrast underscores a growing educational divide. “We lack adequate classrooms. Sometimes classes are combined, and I have never even seen a computer here,” said Fatima Musa, a student in Baita village. Another student in Jili confessed: “I’ve heard of AI, but I don’t know what it is or how it works.”
According to the Kano State Private and Voluntary Institutions Board (KSPVIB), over 3,700 private schools are now registered, with 42% at the secondary level—many of them exploring AI-powered teaching. However, the Kano State Senior Secondary School Management Board (KSSSMB) oversees 826 public secondary schools that still lack the infrastructure to support such innovation.
Digital entrepreneur Abubakar Sulaiman believes AI can help bridge Nigeria’s teacher shortage and learning gaps. “Offline-capable AI tools are essential for rural schools. Virtual tutors and automated assessments can ease the load on overstretched teachers,” he said.
Despite this potential, AI remains largely aspirational for the public sector. Over 60% of northern Nigerian public schools lack access to electricity, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Commissioner of Education Ali Haruna Makoda insists the government is taking steps, citing the distribution of over 1,500 computers and solar power systems to some secondary schools. The education sector received 31% of Kano’s 2025 budget, its highest allocation yet.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf has also announced six draft education policies and partnerships with UNICEF, AGILE, and MTN to support IT-focused teacher training and infrastructure upgrades.
Still, education analyst Abel Aboh warns that without urgent action, “Kano risks becoming two separate school systems—one racing toward the future and another trapped in survival mode.”
For now, the children in rural classrooms wait—hopeful that the digital age doesn’t pass them by.