Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad

I was recently listening to Sarki Sanusi’s excellent presentation titled “How to Stop Manufacturing Poverty,” where he remarked that the single silver bullet that could solve 70% of our problems in Africa would be the education of the girl child. This inspired this write-up. If you find this too long, you can skip to the last three paragraphs for my overall message.

If you’ve been following me for a while, you might have come across my mother’s story time and again. I will share it once more because it is a quintessential example of Sarki Sanusi’s assertion.

But before I go there, allow me to digress a bit to share another example of a mother being a role model and inspiring a generation. I used to think it was a coincidence, but it seems too perfect to be random that the same woman—Hajiya Mariya Sanusi Dantata—produced Aliko Dangote, Sayyu Dantata, and Sani Gote: three billionaires and established businessmen. At the very least, she must have given them the latitude to pursue excellence. Being the daughter of a wealthy man and a businesswoman herself, she likely had a clear vision of what excellence looked like—and instilled that in their upbringing.

She may not be literate, but she is certainly aware. From my few encounters with her, I found her to be smart, curious, and disciplined. She must have passed these traits on to her children, giving them a sense of purpose and drive.

Similarly, I remember listening to Abba Karfe (founder and chairman of the renowned Garba Karfe Investments, with interests spanning manufacturing and retail) and Sammani Adamu (chairman of El-Samad, a textile conglomerate) reflect on the roles their mothers played in their entrepreneurial journeys. Although they spoke at different times and on different topics, they both acknowledged how much their mothers encouraged their business pursuits.

On my end, I have also always seen my mother as another perfect example of the ripple effect of women’s empowerment. She raised six of us (one of whom is now late) all by herself. Circumstances led to her being married for only 13 of her 69 years. Her first marriage lasted nearly 11 years before she became a widow with five children. Her second marriage lasted only three years. So, at 23, she was an unemployed widow with no formal education, saddled with the responsibility of raising five children—three of whom were girls.

For the next 11 years, she would reinvent her life: learning how to read and write (through the then Agency for Mass Education), obtaining a university degree, and eventually securing a job. It was only then that she considered marriage again. But as fate would have it, it didn’t work out—though she left that marriage with the gift of one more child, the sixth and last. She has remained unmarried for the past 36 years, never glorifying singleness, but instead dedicating her life to building a career in civil service, raising her family, and engaging in genuine community service. Today, she sits on the board of one of the government agencies—nine years after her retirement.

Recently, during a conversation, she shared a reality I had always witnessed but never heard her express. For the first time, she said that the life she chose meant she had to forgo the comfort of being cared for by a man. In fact, she has very little memory of such care, save for her brother who had been a pillar but who passed away too early. She had to be both the man and the woman, living life without waiting for help or rescue. Occasionally, support would come, but it was never reliable. She told me there is no glory in widowhood or singlehood, but if life throws that at you, you can still build something remarkable.

Many times, I tell people that I find more inspiration in my mother’s life than in my father’s—even though the scale of his influence and impact is broader. From him, I learned honour, authority, and discipline. But from her, I learned courage, resilience, and audacious hope. Life set her up for failure, but she resisted. And what makes it even more remarkable is that she did it as a woman, with very little support.

As Sarki Sanusi mentioned, the future of our progress and development lies in the empowerment of women. Every single good you see in me comes from my mother. I take very little credit. I usually say I don’t have a story yet. I hope to build a remarkable life, but I use her light—the remarkable life she built for herself and for me—to shine. And that will continue until I’m able to build something equally remarkable.

Quite recently, I was listening to Naval Ravikant—the famous entrepreneur and investor—share his childhood experience. He said he initially aspired to be a scientist, specifically an astrophysicist. But his mother, observing his personality, told him she believed he would become a businessman. She noticed how he would critique businesses and their service processes. She had already seen a curious business mind in him. That insight planted the seed that grew into Naval the thinker, investor, and billionaire.

So, back to the topic: if we can instill enough ambition in women, it will filter down to their offspring—both male and female. This creates a community of ambitious individuals whose lives are rooted in excellence and determination, like the examples shared above. Had my mother not found a higher purpose in education and work, I might have become the sixth of 8–10 children she could have given birth to, making it more challenging to ration the little resources available and provide proper childcare.

Empowering women begins with educating them—formally or informally (especially for older women in underserved areas)—and giving them the latitude to live a dignified life. The bottom line is for a woman or girl to become aware—of herself, her environment, and the opportunities around her—and to aspire toward something meaningful. An unaware and unambitious woman is highly likely to pass that mindset on to her children or become a burden herself.

These stories are too perfect to be a coincidence. They represent a pattern and a model that can be replicated at scale: empower as many women as possible to live a dignified life, and they will empower the next generation.

By Senior Political Editor Abbas Yushau Yusuf

Senator Barau I. Jibrin, the Deputy Senate President, has been in the headlines since assuming office, proposing initiatives and policies that will win over his senatorial area, Kano North and the state at large. Despite the Kwankwasiyya Tsunami that swept the 2023 polls in Kano, Senator Barau Jibrin scaled through and won his election. Can this be attributed to past projects he completed for his constituency?
keen political observers understand that after emerging as the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin has come up with another strategy which was employed by the Kwankwasiyya political movement when it clinched power in the 2011 general elections in Kano which is offering foreign scholarships to the sons and daughters of the less privileged in the state.
Below is the breakdown of the recent scholarships offered by Senator Barau Jibrin to Kano indigenes as released by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudaahir.
“One week after sponsoring 70 students for postgraduate scholarships abroad, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, is set to offer scholarships to 300 students to pursue master’s degrees in Nigerian universities.” the statement reads
“Through the Barau I. Jibrin Foundation (BIJF), 70 students selected from across the three senatorial districts of Kano State departed the country via Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA) for India on December 29th, 2024.”
In addition, the Deputy President of the Senate, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, announced that 300 students will benefit from his domestic postgraduate scholarship program this year.
To this effect, the foundation opened applications for “postgraduate domestic scholarships for the 2025/2026 academic session.”
“The foundation, dedicated to fostering academic excellence and providing educational opportunities to deserving Kano State graduates, aims to support 300 outstanding graduates from recognized universities in pursuing their postgraduate studies at selected universities across the country”.
Secretary of the Postgraduate Scholarship Committee of the BIJF, Maikudi Lawan, PhD, said the program offers a unique opportunity for academic growth, research, and human capital development in various fields of science and technology, which will empower the country’s next generation.
He said the programs include: M.Sc. Artificial Intelligence, M.Sc. Robotics Technology, M.Sc. Cyber Security, M.Sc. Data Science, M.Sc. Information Technology, M.Sc. Software Development, M.Sc. Mineral Exploration, M.Sc. Hydrogeology & Environmental Geology, M.Sc. Oil and Gas Operations, M.Sc. Applied Geophysics, M.Sc. Metallurgical and Material Engineering, M.Sc. Climate Change Management, M.Eng. Mechatronic and M.Eng. Intelligence System.
He added that six universities, Bayero University Kano, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Ibadan, University of Lagos, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and University of Nigeria Nsukka, have been selected for the program.
Every political observer in Kano can attest to the success of Kwankwasiyya movement’s politics of offering scholarships to the sons and daughters of the less privileged. For example, when the NNPP national leader, Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, bounced back as Governor for the second term in 2011, he came up with foreign scholarships for Kano indigenes who had a minimum of second-class upper degrees. when such laudable project was announced many people then didn’t believe it was going to happen.
The Kwankwasiyya Government sequentially sponsored 501, 502, and 503 set of students on foreign scholarships sent abroad on different batches to study in different fields. This set of people sponsored by Engineer Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s administration traversed many parts of the world, including India, Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey, Jordan, and other parts of the world.
By the time Governor Kwankwaso finished his second term in 2015, most of the students sponsored had already returned from their studies. Many analysts believed that this life changing opportunities offered by his administration was one of the reasons for the unconditional loyalty of many of the beneficiaries and their families to the Kwankwasiyya movement.
This among other things was one of the reasons that gave Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje an easy ride leading him to win the 2015 governorship election with a landslide. however, the relationship between Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and his former boss and political ally deteriorated over time and currently do not see eye to eye due to political differences.
In 2019, the Kwankwasiyya Governorship candidate, Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf, won the Governorship election in the first round by defeating incumbent Dr. Ganduje, whom they accused of abandoning their programs in which he was the grand Deputy commander of the Kwankwasiyya movement in 2015. it is becoming apparent that Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf who is the current governor of the state will continue the legacies laid by the leader of the movement including the sponsoring of students on foreign scholarships.
A lot of people are of the opinion that the current strategy employed by Senator Barau I. Jibrin in offering scholarships to the indigenes of Kano, including the less privileged, is a sign that the Deputy Senate President is eyeing the Kano Governorship seat in the 2027 general elections. Will this be a plot to dislodge the Kwankwasiyya Government under the NNPP led by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf in the coming elections?

Aisha Ahmad Ismail

It was a dark day for Malama Khadija, who despite heavy bleeding with no pads on has been on the road for almost 8 hours, seeking help for a baby that has not cried a day after birth even after visiting 9 hospitals in Kano.

The new mother was forced to ride in her husband’s tricycle, ignoring the dripping blood as they went to 9 hospitals, none accepted them for mainly reasons of bed space

Khadija birthed a girl on Monday, when health care workers at asibitin Bela noticed the child did not cry, and later referred them to Hasiya Bayero Pediatric Hospital for better access to professionals.

Here, a security guard asked them to ‘not waste their time’ as they do not care for children who did not cry at birth.

Other hospitals, the new parents visited Murtala Muhammad specialist where the father said the child was first checked, and her legs pinched with ‘something’.
They were later asked to leave for lack of bed space, and referred to another hospital.

The worried mother held the little girl now named Aminatu as they headed to Muhammad Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital. There, the doctors refused to attend to the child because they were on strike.

Malam Bala, the new father and a tricycle rider told this reporter that a police officer threatened to shoot a doctor for delayed attendance to his daughter born with similar condition to his. Doctors asked them to leave.

The brave new parents jostled the new born to another pediatric hospital; Sheikh Khalifa Isyaku Rabiu Pediatrics Hospital along Zoo Road, and their hopes were raised when a doctor started checking on her. A few minutes later, she came up with the same answer as the specialist hospital – no bed space.

Again, they left for Aminu Kano Teaching hospital with the help of a philanthropist they met on their long, hope dashing journey, Hajiya Binta and like before, there was no available bed space.

The parents, exhausted but not giving up on their child, went to a private health facility, where a bed space costs N10,000 per night, something the father said he could not afford if not for the charitable efforts of Hajiya Binta.

With her help, they paid for file N5,000, tests to be run on little Aminatu N6,000, drugs cost N15,000 and an injection N4,000.

He said they were able to spend just one night, as the expenses were much and he had to owe the hospital N21, 000.
Little Aminatu did not cry 7 days after her birth at which was the time of filing this report, and her parents are at home hoping one day, she would cry or stay quiet forever.

Khadija’s case is amongst the many maternal health related complications in the state; in Sept. 2022, a lady, Zainab lost her child and her life at Murtala Muhammad Specialist hospital; in February 2023, a woman now late Hajiya Shema’u Sani Labaran bled to death due to lack of cash at hand for treatments.
In 2024, an investigation by Solace base led to a whole community of women at Mazan Gudu community, Gabasawa LGA who survive pregnancy and childbirth on luck.

These are not isolated cases; but few of the many increasing preventable deaths at childbirth. According to UNICEF in 2018, Nigeria contributes 14% of global maternal deaths. The global body says at least 262, 000 babies die at birth, as the infant mortality rate stands at 69% per 1,000 births.

According to the National Health Care Development Agency 145 women die daily at childbirth in the country, with the highest figures coming from Northern Nigeria.

The staggering figures of maternal mortality and morbidity must have alarmed the Kano state government, leading to finding ways to ease the burden, amongst which is the creation of the Kano State Health Trust Fund created in 2017.
Women Die at Birth Despite Government’s Claimed Enhanced Funding
“I just returned from the burial of a woman who died from childbirth complications, the child is alive and hearty.”

This is the response of the Ja’en ward head, located at Sharada, Gwale LG, Isma’il Sa’ad Usman to the question of maternal mortality and morbidity is his domain.

He said he is not entirely sure why, but despite government’s interventions and NGOs, maternal deaths are not uncommon in many areas in Kano, including his.

Our trip to the primary health care in the area was really short, as health officers were ‘afraid’ of the media.

The Ja’en PHC was bustling with women hoping to get ante-natal care

However, one officer who spoke briefly said women at the local level are wising up to accessing health facilities like theirs, adding that the state has trained officers enabling them to quickly refer to complicated births to higher facilities.
Interviews at some primary health care facilities reveal reduced death rates at the facilities.

A tour of Gwagwarwa primary health care showed women showing up for antenatal as health personnel move around to cater for their needs.

A health personnel at the facility who spoke on anonymously said though there are deaths at childbirth or after due to complications, they mostly occur at secondary and tertiary institutions or at home.

Women attending ante natal at Gwagwarwa PHC

The health officer revealed that whenever a complication arises from birth, they are quick to refer to more qualified facilities, but lack of bed spaces of money for basic things make the patients return home, only to later die from preventable health complications.

According to the source, they have heard stories of deaths of either mother and child, or one of the two afterwards.

The village head of Gama, Malam Rabi’u Muhd Isyaku said people are poor, and have resorted to seeking help from Friday mosques or radio stations to treat maternal health problems.

He said there are reports of maternal mortality, but it hardly goes public as they are mostly recorded at home.

“I am always heart broken when I hear a plea for help to cater for a pregnant woman during or after birth,” he added.
Nurse Laments Maternal Mortality; Blames Shortage of Staff .

Nurse Maimuna works at one of the government hospitals in Kano, she said they have recorded deaths at different stages of childbirth.

She said they have recorded deaths due to obstructed labor and prolonged labor that comes late to the hospital.

The nurse added that some women labor (active labor) for 20-30 hours, contrary to the ‘normal’ hours, leading to eventual deaths of both mother and child, or just the child.

Nurse Maimuna lamented how they are overwhelmed with patients that they skip women who are in need in urgent help or C-section.

She has witnessed few women die due to work overload that distracts health personnel at tertiary some institutions.
KHETFUND: Improved Maternal Health Care Promises Fulfilled?

In 2017, the Kano government led by former Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje championed the State Trust Fund to help augment the state budget on health, including maternal and newborn health.
Speaking with this reporter, the former state health commissioner, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa said the law mandates 5% of the fund’s money to the health sector.

He said from the time of Governors Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso to Malam Ibrahim Shekarau and Abdullahi Ganduje, there has been a free birth and post birth policy which all governments sustained irrespective of political ideologies.

Former health commissioner Kano, Dr. Aminu Ibrahim Tsanyawa

However, there are times when the budget funds are not released on time, or the government is starved of cash, thus the 5% of the fund to ensure the maternal and childbirth ‘always’ gets the necessary attention and funds.
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Also speaking with this reporter, the director operations, KHETFUND, Dr. Muhamad Lawan Adamu said the 5% for maternal and children is on standing order and has never been delayed, unlike funds meant for hospitals- from primary to tertiary, institutions and others.

According to him, the 5% is handed over to the Kano Hospitals Management Board monthly.

According to another official of KHETFUND, Hamisu Abubakar who is the director admin and services, there has been constant cash flow into the fund from the mandatory 5% monthly IGR and 1% from LGAs allocation since the inception of the current Abba Kabir Yusuf administration, signaling that the fund is not starved of funds.
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KHETFUND Budget Performance
The Kano State Health Care Fund mandates that 50% of the budget be allocated to hospital (Pri, Secondary and Tertiary), 25% to health education institutions 2% to running of the fund, 2% to the vulnerable groups, 5% to maternal health care.

Kano budget performance shows low performance of the KHETFUND; however, this does not affect the 5% maternal health care fund as confirmed by officials of KHETFUND.

The 1st quarter of 2024 budget shows 0% performance of the budget despite the allocation of N800,000,000 to the fund as shown on page 7.

With a budget of N1,200,000,000 in 2023, the fund recorded only 2.1% budget performance, also as seen on page 7 of the document.

With a budget of N1,400,000,000 in 2022, KHETFUND had a 5% budget performance as seen on page 6 of the budget performance document.

YEAR
AMOUNT
PERFORMANCE %

2024
N800m
0%

2023
N1.2bn
2.1%

2022
N1.4bn
5%

Source: Kano budget performance documents

The low performance, according to a KHETFUND official, is not unconnected to the fact that hospitals and institutions do not write to the fund requesting for their needs.

Dr. Muhamad Lawan Adamu, director operations of the fund said they disburse funds only when requested and after due process – with the exception of the maternal health 5% of course.
Despite 5% KHETFUND Maternal Allocation, Why Maternal Health Crisis?
A trip to the Kano Hospital Management Board as directed by the Kano State Health Ministry through the spokesperson, Ibrahim Abdullahi led me to the office of the officer in charge KHETFUND at the board.

He however refused to speak for ‘lack of authorization’ to speak with the media on the issue.

Another trip to the board revealed that the 5% fund from KHETFUND was received regularly. Speaking anonymously, an official said there are many factors for persistent problems with maternal health in Kano.

The first issue the official raised was that the fund was only meant to ‘augment’ needs in the sector, and this will be based on request.

The second problem the official noted was lack of enough doctors/health personnel to man any additional bed or space at the hospitals thus the fund was used to purchase drugs and all other valuables/instruments, including for CS to care for pregnant women and the babies.

NGOs Worry Over Shortage of Bedspaces, underutilization of PHCs
Sanusi Hashim, is the contact person for Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment, he said they are worried by widely reported maternal deaths despite increased funding and positive government policies.

According to him, many factors are responsible for the trend including
Under utilization of PHCs; According to the officer, they have come to understand that most pregant women would rather go to the ‘bigger’ hospitals that the Primary Health Cares within their locality. Though some PHCs are in terrible conditions, many have been improved to even carry out Cesarean Sections should the need arise. He said these could have eased pressure on the secondary and tertiary health facilities in the state, reduce mortality rate further and provide adequate health care to both mother and child – free of charge.

Lack of bed spaces: Due to the inflow of patients from all 44 LGAs in Kano, Mr. Hashim Sa’id there is congestion and lack of space. He revealed that a tour to one of the tertiary hospitals; Abdullahi Wase Teaching Hospital showed no bed space available to cater for more patients. This he said.

NGO Provides Additional Solutions to Maternal Mortality and Morbidity
Society for Child Support and Economic Empowerment said there is urgent need for government to equip, upgrade and provide adequate personnel at ‘all’ primary health care centers in the state.

The contact person, of the organization, Sanusi Hashim says this will take excellent health care to the doorstep of the masses in all LGA, thus reduce pressure on the secondary and tertiary institutions.

After that, he advocates for intensive campaign on the importance and need for pregnant women to patronize PHCs in their areas.

Sanusi also called on the Kano State Government to increase wards and bed spaces at all health facilities.
On their parts, traditional leaders at Sharada Ja’en and Gwagwarwa seek increased funding and special packages for the poor in the society.