By Erika Paredes

Across Nigeria, a recurrent question among policymakers and business leaders is no longer about climate ambition, but about outcomes. What matters is whether climate action translates into households with steady power, affordable energy for businesses, and jobs for young people.

Climate capital is available, and Nigeria ranks among the top destinations for climate investors. Capital is flowing to solar grids, electric buses, flood-proof roads, and drought-resistant crops. Yet the central doubt remains whether the country has the delivery capacity to move fast enough. Success hinges not on funding alone, but on bankable projects: clear timelines, assigned roles, transparent risks, and fast approvals. When done right, paper becomes power plants.

Nigeria’s international climate engagement has not lacked ambition. Recent statements make this clear. This momentum is already visible: in 2023, the World Bank approved a USD 750 million clean energy programme to expand access for over 17.5 million Nigerians, while a separate agreement with Siemens Energy is advancing grid modernisation. This shows that well-structured projects can attract investment.

Climate finance is often seen as only about saving forests. In reality, for Nigeria, it can be a growth engine that attracts investment and creates employment at scale. Nigerian leaders are already engaging with these opportunities. When energy projects advance faster, power reaches households and businesses.
Countries that are beginning to scale climate finance successfully are not those announcing the largest targets. They are the ones strengthening the systems that turn opportunity into delivery, building confidence among investors and citizens alike. Successful top-scaler cases include Vietnam, with 17 GW of solar deployed in three years, and Chile, with 10 GW of renewables delivered through auctions and digital innovation.

Nigeria has the capacity and readiness to seize this moment. The next step is clear: shift decisively from ambition to execution, modernise and diversify project portfolios, and prioritise outcomes that Nigerians feel in their daily lives, particularly young people.

About the author: Erika Paredes is a Harvard-trained climate finance leader, former UN senior executive, and CEO of Climate Solutions for All. She has mobilised over USD 8 billion in development finance across Africa, Asia, and Latin America.

Al-Istiqama University is a private tertiary institution located in Sumaila local government area of Kano state. The university was granted license for operation in April 2021 by the National Universities Commission (NUC).

However, the university commenced academic activities on September 2021 with 2020/2021 academic session. It took-off with 15 programmes across three Faculties; Basic Health Science, Arts and Social Management and Science and Computing.

The University is running the following courses under the Faculty of Arts and Social Management Science; Accounting, Islamic Studies, Economics, Entrepreneurial Studies, Political Science and Taxation, while under the Faculty of Basic Health Science and Science and Computing, it runs BMLS Medical Laboratory Science, BN.Sc Nursing and Public Health.

Under the Faculty of Science and Computing, the university is running Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science and Mathematics Software Engineering and Physics with Electronics.

In 2023, the university obtained an approval to mount 10 additional undergraduate degree programmes across the three faculties. These are B.A Arabic, B.A English, B.A Shari’ah, B.Sc. Criminology Security Studies, B.Sc. International Relations, B.Sc. Peace Students and Conflicts Resolution, B.Sc. Sociology, B. Community Health, B. Environmental Health and B.Sc. Biotechnology.

Consequently, in October 2024, after three years under provisional license, the National Universities Commission (NUC) granted full operational status to the university, affirmed its compliance with regulatory standards for facilities, staff, governance and academic programmes.
One of the hallmarks of Al-Istiqama University is its unwavering commitments to discipline and safety. The university maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards drug abuse, ensuring a healthy and secure environment for both students and staff.

Also, through close collaboration with relevant authorities, the institution has established itself as one of the safest tertiary institutions in Kano State.
Since its inception, Al-Istiqama University has been dedicated to bridging educational gaps, promoting global study, and fostering experiential learning, interdisciplinary scholarship, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit—all rooted in the fear of Allah.

Four years after its establishment, Al-Istiqama has witnessed unprecedented and rapid developments both academically and structurally. The institution’s holistic approach to education, combined with its affordable fees, state-of-the-art facilities, and commitment to sustainability in its services, has positioned it as a beacon of excellence among its peers in Nigeria and beyond.

The management of the institution, in its efforts to make the university’s environment conducive for learning, remained resolute in providing all it requires to make the university meet the standard. for instance, the management has provided modern facilities including road networking, solar-powered street lights, clinic facility, lecture halls, classrooms, lecture theaters, and laboratories.

The university’s hostels have been revamped to provide comfortable and serene living spaces for the students. The special hostel complex with specifications of two students per room which foundation was laid in 2024 has been completed with a view to providing comfort to students.

Additionally, the 250-bed capacity Teaching Hospital meant to carter for the needs of sciences students which was also started in 2024, has not only been completed but equipped with state-of-arts hospital equipment.

Beside the provisions of solar-powered street lights within the campuses of the university, similar source of energy has been provided to essential faculties and departments in order to ease the students’ coursework.

These upgrades reflect the institution’s dedication to creating a holistic and conducive environment that supports both academic and personal growth for both the students, lecturers and other staff of the university.

In February 2025, Al-Istiqama made a history by holding its maiden convocation to celebrate its first set of 246 graduates who completed their studies across the three faculties. During the convocation, the institution honored prominent personalities including the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi, Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Hameem Nuhu Sanusi, Chairman of AA Rano Industries limited, Alhaji Auwalu A. Rano, Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former speaker, House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara and the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Salisu Shehu.
The institution also named two newly constructed females’ hostels after Hajiya Saudatu Husini and Hajiya Gaji Fadimatu, mothers of the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II and Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Hameem Nuhu Sanusi respectively.
Another females’ hostel was named after Hajiya Hajara Abdullahi, mother of the Kano renowned business mogul, Alhaji Auwalu Rano, while the University’s library after the immediate past Vice Chancellor, Professor Salisu Shehu, while the newly constructed Faculty of Law was named after Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.
Also, some newly constructed offices and classes complexes were named after Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, three former Governors of Kano state, Dr. Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau and Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.
Following to appointment of Professor Salisu Shehu as the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Educational Research Development Commission (NERDC) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Professor Abdulhadi Sale Kumurya was appointed substantive Vice Chancellor of the University in September 2025.

The university has graduated a total of 244 students at the end of the 2023/2024 academic session, while at the end of the 2024/2025 academic session 90 students from the departments of Medical Laboratory Science and Nursing were graduated and inducted into their respective councils on the 9th December 2025.

In October last year, the university obtained an additional approval to mount 25 new undergraduate degree programmes, expanding the number of facilities to seven from three. The three additional faculties include Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Basic Medical Science.

Also, in October 2025, the university obtained another approval from the NUC to mount 105 Post Graduate Courses. Preparations have reached advance stage for the commencement of the Post Graduate Courses in the university.

By Abdulkadir Ahmed Ibrahim (Kwakwatawa), FNGE.

In politics, moments arise when loyalty to a platform must give way to loyalty to the people. There are seasons when courage is not found in standing still, but in moving forward with clarity of purpose. Kano State stands at such a moment. The planned defection of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to the ruling All Progressives Congress is not an act of betrayal. It is a call to responsibility, a deliberate choice shaped by necessity, foresight, and the overriding interest of Kano and its people.

Perhaps power, when isolated, grows weak. Governance, when detached from the centre, struggles to deliver. Since the emergence of Abba Kabir Yusuf as governor, Kano has found itself standing alone in the national space. Federal presence is thin, strategic attention limited. The state that once sat confidently at the table of national influence now watches key decisions pass by without its voice fully heard. This isolation is not a reflection of the governor’s intent or capacity; it is the reality of operating outside the ruling structure in a political environment where access often determines outcomes.

It is common knowledge that governors do not govern in a vacuum. Roads, security, education, health, and economic revival depend on cooperation between state and federal authorities. When that bridge is weak, the people bear the cost. Kano today needs bridges, not walls. It needs inclusion, not distance. It needs a seat where decisions are shaped, not a gallery where outcomes are merely observed.

The internal tension surrounding the emirate question has further deepened uncertainty. While history and tradition demand respect, governance demands stability. Prolonged disputes distract leadership, unsettle investors, and weigh heavily on public confidence. At such a time, a governor requires strong institutional backing and political leverage to navigate sensitive reforms with balance and authority. Standing alone makes that task far more difficult than it ought to be.

More troubling is the visible absence of federal projects and partnerships. In a country where development is often driven by political proximity, Kano cannot afford to remain on the margins. A state of its stature, population, and historical relevance deserves more than sympathetic silence. It deserves action, presence, and partnership.

It is within this context that Abba Kabir Yusuf’s movement toward the APC must be understood. Not as personal ambition, but as strategic realism. Not as political convenience, but as a pathway to unlock opportunities long denied by distance from power.

By extension, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso stands at a defining crossroads. History has placed him in a rare position. He is respected across party lines, commands a loyal following, and remains one of the most influential political figures in Northern Nigeria. Above all, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu holds him in high regard. They share a common political generation, having both served as governors in 1999, shaped by the same democratic rebirth and seasoned by time and experience.

In addition, one can recall that both Rabi’u Kwankwaso and Bola Tinubu were at the National Assembly under the platform of the now defunct Social Democratic Party, SDP, during the short-lived 3rd Republic. The former was the Deputy Speaker at the House of Representatives while the latter was a Senator together with Late Senator Engineer Magaji Abdullahi who was also elected under the same SDP ticket.

Late Engineer Magaji Abdullahi a former Deputy Governor of Kano State (2003 to 2007) and also a former Chief Executive of the State owned Water Resources and Engineering Construction Agency, WRECA, in the 1980s was a benefactor of Engineers Rabi’u Kwankwaso and Abba Kabir Yusuf were they first met as members of staff.

The late successful Kano technocrat, accomplished engineer, career civil servant charismatic and vibrant national politician was a close ally and associate of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu starting from the SDP days and the duo was some of the foundation members of the APC.

The President’s repeated extension of an olive branch to Kwankwaso is therefore not accidental. These gestures are acknowledgements of value, respect, and shared history. They signal recognition of Kwankwaso’s political weight and his capacity to contribute meaningfully at the national level. When such calls come consistently, wisdom suggests they should not be ignored. Kwankwaso should heed the call by moving along with the political direction of Kano State.

The truth is unavoidable. The political home Kwankwaso once built no longer offers the shelter it promised. The NNPP is enmeshed in internal crises that threaten its very identity. Court cases over party ownership and recognition pose serious risks. With the Independent National Electoral Commission recognising one faction amid raging disputes, the platform has become unstable ground for any serious electoral ambition. Under these circumstances, entering the 2027 race either with Abba Kabir Yusuf seeking re election on the NNPP platform or Kwankwaso pursuing a presidential ambition would amount to gambling against history and reason.

The alternatives are no better. The Peoples Democratic Party is fractured, weakened by internal contradictions and persistent leadership disputes. Its once formidable structure now struggles to inspire confidence. The African Democratic Congress, on the other hand, is ideologically and historically uncomfortable for Kwankwaso. Many of its leading figures were once his fiercest rivals. They resisted him in the PDP and are unlikely to allow him meaningful influence now. Political memory is long, and grudges rarely dissolve.

Beyond current realities lies a deeper lesson from history. Regional parties, no matter how passionate or popular within their strongholds, have rarely succeeded on the national stage. From the First Republic to the Fourth, the pattern remains consistent. Nigeria rewards broad coalitions, not narrow bases. Power flows where diversity converges.

The APC today represents that convergence. It is not perfect, but it is expansive. It is national in outlook, broad in structure, and firmly in control of the federal machinery. For Kano, aligning with the APC is not surrender. It is strategy. It is an investment in relevance, access, and development.

For Abba Kabir Yusuf, the move is about delivering tangible dividends of democracy. For Kwankwaso, it is about securing a future that reflects his stature and experience. Loyalty, in its truest sense, is not blind attachment to a platform. It is fidelity to the welfare of followers, to the aspirations of a people, and to the demands of the moment.

Politics is not static. It is a living conversation between ideals and realities. When realities change, wisdom adapts. Kano’s future demands bold choices, not sentimental delays. The music is louder now. The moment is clearer. The door is open.

History favours those who recognise when to move. For Abba Kabir Yusuf and Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, the path toward the APC is not a retreat from principle. It is a step toward purpose. They should go back to where they rightly belong. And for Kano, it may well be the bridge back to the centre, where its voice belongs and its destiny can be fully pursued.

Abdulkadir, a Fellow of Nigerian Guild of Editors, former National Vice President of the NUJ, Veteran Journalist, was the Press Secretary of the former Deputy Governor Late Engineer Magaji Abdullahi.