About a fortnight ago, my colleague Nabillah Hassan Umar wrote on how Governor Nasir El-Rufai is Making Public Schools Great Again, by improving the quality of teachers in Kaduna state. In fact, she captured the game of wits between Organised Labour and Kaduna State Government and the former’s ultimate defeat. However, the reforms in the education sector are much more than improved teachers’ quality. In 2015, when Governor El-Rufai came into office, he met a pathetic situation in most of the 4,000 public primary schools and 1,000 secondary schools in Kaduna state. Infrastructures were decayed, some public schools were completely broken down, with blown off roofs, the buildings had bare floors and without windows and doors. Most schools lacked toilets, water and electricity while more than 50% of pupils in primary schools were seating on the bare floor to receive instructions. In addition, 3,235 public schools were without any source of water while 4,077 schools were without electric power, leading to poor quality of learning. School enrollment was low and students’ completion rate stood at 24.17% for primary schools, 54.94% for junior secondary school and 70.14% for senior secondary school. Classrooms were crowded and the learning environment was hostile and as a result, Kaduna state was performing as poorly as 4% in the West African Examination (WAEC) in 2010 and 10% in 2011. In fact, the situation was so alarming that a former Commissioner of Education and an ex-House of Representatives member had lamented that ‘if we are to spend the whole budgetary allocation of Kaduna for the next ten years, we may still not be able to get precisely what we want”. However, the story is now changing. Consequently, given the story state of education, the state government had declared a state of emergency in the sector and has made education free and compulsory at primary and secondary school levels. In addition, the APC government has improved infrastructure and schools across the country. Consistently, education has always received the lion share of its annual budget as allocations to the sector have consistently been above the 26% international threshold. With these successive huge budgetary allocations, the government has been embarking on reforms and investments in the education sector, including infrastructural repairs and upgrade, the building of more classrooms, provision of furniture, clean water and toilet facilities. Significantly, the government has upgraded 15 selected historic schools across the state, under it Whole Schools Renovation Programme. The programme which includes renovation of all existing classrooms, hostels, laboratories, and staff quarters, also covered the provision of teaching equipment and provision of water and electricity as well as the supply of beds, mattresses, furniture and books. For instance, Government College Kagoro which was established in 1959, was among such schools that benefited. According to the principal, Mrs Teni Gandu, the school had not been given any major face-lift since it was established, prior to the overhaul of its entire structure and facilities by the present administration. She recalled that “when I was posted here, the hostels were dilapidated, the dining hall has collapsed, and classrooms were without roofs, windows and doors. But Glory be to God for the intervention by this government. ‘’ Mrs Gandu further said that enrolment had dropped drastically because parents were discouraged from bringing their wards to the school, which is located in Kaura local government area. However, after the renovation, she said that there is now an influx of students to the school. Apart from Government College Kagoro, Rimi College, Government Girls Secondary School Kawo and Government Girls Secondary School Zonkwa, including Barewa College, Alhudahuda College, as well as Government College Saminika, benefitted from the Whole School Renovation Programme. Also, Science School Kufena, Queen Amina and Technical College Kaduna, Government Girls Secondary School Kwoi, as well as Government College Kachia, including Technical School Soba and Government Girls Secondary School Giwa also benefitted.No doubt, these major facilities upgrade, coupled with quality teachers and a conducive learning environment, have consistently put Kaduna state as the best performing northern state in Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations in the last five years.