The Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has wrapped up a three-day training in Kano aimed at rethinking how trade unions operate and urging labour leaders to pay more attention to political and policy issues affecting workers.

The training, part of the Kano Labour Institute, brought together unionists from different sectors to examine the limitations of current union practices and explore how to better understand the systems shaping workers’ lives.

Speaking at the closing session on Wednesday, former General Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade John Odah, told participants that union education must go beyond salary negotiations.

“Trade union education is not just about negotiation or defending salaries. It is about giving workers a political and ideological compass,” Odah said. “When you don’t understand the system you are fighting, your struggle becomes weak and misdirected.”

He said past gains by the Nigerian labour movement came from leaders who understood politics, economics, and power.

“Those who laid the foundation of the Nigerian labour movement were not only agitators—they were thinkers. They understood the economy, the state, and power relations. That’s what gave them strength,” he noted.

Odah warned that unions risk becoming irrelevant if they focus only on wages and ignore the broader issues affecting workers.

“If unions don’t educate their members politically, others will miseducate them. And when that happens, we all pay the price,” he said.

At the opening session, CITAD Executive Director, Engr. Y.Z. Ya’u, challenged union leaders to go beyond “bread and butter unionism” and think more critically about their role.

“The program is designed to revive trade union education so that union members are better equipped with skills and knowledge to effectively represent workers, including through collective bargaining, to win meaningful victories for their members,” Ya’u said.

He called on labour leaders to pay attention to national policies and political developments, and to focus on building the intellectual and political strength of their unions.

“Unions must not become docile spaces filled with uncritical members. We need a culture of internal democracy, accountability, and political literacy,” Ya’u said.

He described the training as a test run, encouraging participants to reflect on their experiences and return to their communities with fresh ideas.

Others who spoke at the event included Prof. Dung Pam Sha of the University of Jos, Comrade Dr. Mairo Bello, Comrade Hon. Azumi Bebeji, and Dr. Muttaqa Yusha’u, Head of Training at the Nigerian Labour Congress.

The three-day session is part of CITAD’s effort to promote political awareness and active citizenship through education at the community level.

The Tarauni Youth Enlightenment Forum has expressed appreciation to the Executive Governor of Kano State, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, for appointing Alhaji Aminu Malesh, a staunch loyalist of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), as a board member of the Kano Pillars Football Club.

The commendation was contained in a statement issued to newsmen in Kano by the Head of the Forum, Muzakkir Ibrahim. He noted that the appointment reflects Governor Yusuf’s recognition of the loyalty and contributions of committed party members like Alhaji Malesh.

According to Muzakkir, the forum recalls with pride how Alhaji Aminu Malesh contributed immensely to the success of the NNPP in the 2023 general elections, especially in Tarauni Local Government Area. He described Malesh as one of the key grassroots mobilizers who played a vital role in delivering the constituency to the NNPP.

He added that Malesh’s philanthropic contributions over the years have directly impacted thousands of constituents, highlighting that his efforts extended beyond politics and into social welfare, education, and healthcare.

Listing his achievements, Muzakkir detailed several community support programs initiated by Alhaji Malesh from 2022 to 2025. In 2022, the philanthropist organized a medical outreach, sponsored JAMB registrations, facilitated free voter card registrations, provided food items during Ramadan, supported kaciya (mass male circumcision programs), and paid for NECO and WAEC exam fees for indigent students.

In 2023, his efforts continued with repeated JAMB sponsorships, kaciya, food distribution during Ramadan, and the registration of students for NECO, WAEC, and tertiary institutions.

By 2024, the same initiatives were repeated, with even more focus on tertiary education support. He continued with JAMB sponsorships, kaciya, food assistance during Ramadan, and exam registrations, thereby easing the burden on many low-income families.

In 2025, Malesh maintained his commitment to education and community development, once again funding JAMB, NECO, and WAEC registrations, university student registrations, and kaciya activities across Tarauni.

Muzakkir Ibrahim emphasized that these consistent and people-centered interventions have endeared Alhaji Malesh to the people of Tarauni and made him deserving of even higher responsibilities.

He concluded by urging the Kano State Government to consider placing Alhaji Aminu Malesh in positions that would further allow him to serve not just Tarauni but the entire state, given his record of dedication and service.

The Kano State Ministry of Education has conducted an entrance examination for Primary Six pupils seeking admission into Exchange Programme Schools across 19 Northern States.

The Director Monitoring and Evaluation Department of the Ministry Auwal Muhammad Mustafa explained that 20 pupils from each local government area sat for the examination, with four pupils from each area to be selected for admission into Chinese and French College Kwankwaso in Madobi LGA.

According to Mustapha, the examination is open to male and female pupils aged 10-13 years from public and private schools in Kano State.

He further disclosed that the examination which took place across 23 centers and monitored by examiners and supervisors from the Ministry, had recorded great success.

The student exchange program aims to provide educational opportunities for students in Kano State, with past participants sent to states like Katsina, Borno, Benue, Jigawa, and Kebbi.

In a statement by Director public enlghtenment Balarabe Abdullahi Kiru said lt’s worth noting that a similar examination was conducted in 2024, for the same purpose, and the state government has previously conveyed batches of students to participating states under this program.