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When Kano Chose Peace: A Lesson in the Spirit of the Kano First Agenda

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5 months ago

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Kano Map

 

 

By Nworisa Michael | Coordinator, Inter-tribe Community Support Forum

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There are moments in the life of a community that arrive without announcement and depart without ceremony, but whose significance, properly understood, reveals more about the character of a society than any formal declaration or policy document ever could. These are the moments of quiet testing, when the distance between a society’s stated values and its actual reflexes is measured not in speeches or manifestos, but in the ordinary decisions of ordinary people confronted with fear, uncertainty, and the ancient human temptation to react before they think. Kano State experienced one such moment recently, and what it chose in that moment deserves more than the brief attention it has so far received. It deserves reflection, because it contains within it a lesson about what the Kano First Agenda actually means when it moves from the realm of policy language into the lived reality of a city under pressure.
The episode began, as so many contemporary crises do, with a video. Disturbing in its content and rapid in its spread across social media platforms, the footage stirred genuine anxiety within parts of Kano’s diverse and densely connected community. In a city as historically layered and socially complex as Kano, a meeting point of cultures, faiths, ethnicities, and economic interests that has sustained its coherence across centuries through a combination of institutional wisdom and civic restraint, such moments carry a particular weight. The same social architecture that makes Kano’s diversity its greatest strength also makes it vulnerable, under conditions of rumor and fear, to the kind of communal misreading that can transform isolated incidents into collective confrontations. Anyone who knows Kano’s history understands that the distance between anxiety and escalation can, in the wrong circumstances, be disturbingly short.
That escalation did not happen. And the reasons it did not happen are worth examining carefully, because they speak directly to the question of whether the values embedded in the Kano First philosophy are merely aspirational language or whether they have begun to take genuine root in the state’s institutional culture and civic consciousness.
The first line of response was institutional, and it was swift. The Kano State Police Command moved with a speed and decisiveness that communicated, without ambiguity, that the matter was being taken seriously and that the state’s security architecture was functioning as it should. The confirmation that the individual responsible for the video had been identified and arrested removed the dangerous vacuum of uncertainty that rumors require in order to grow into something more destructive. The visible presence of security personnel in the affected community provided the physical reassurance that anxious residents needed. Officers including CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, and the team from the State Intelligence Department led by ACP Abdul Umar, demonstrated the kind of professional responsiveness that builds public confidence in institutions, the kind of confidence that is, in the framework of the Kano First Initiative, not a luxury but a governance necessity.
But the architects of the Kano First philosophy have always understood something that purely security-focused governance tends to overlook: that institutional competence, however impressive, is not sufficient to calm communities whose fears are not merely physical but emotional and psychological. People do not only need to know that a situation is being managed. They need to hear that assurance from voices they have learned, over time, to trust. That deeper reassurance came through the respected leadership of Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, Chairman of the Council of Ulama, whose message, even when conveyed through his aide, carried the moral authority that formal institutional communication alone cannot always provide. The intervention of religious leadership in this moment was not a substitute for institutional action. It was its necessary complement, a reminder that the governance of complex, faith-rooted societies requires the active partnership of moral authority alongside the exercise of political and security power.
Running through both dimensions of this response, the institutional and the moral, was the consistent and purposeful communication of the Honourable Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, whose role as the strategic voice of the Kano First Agenda has never been more clearly demonstrated than in moments precisely like this one. Waiya’s communication philosophy, shaped by years of civic activism and deepened by his stewardship of the state’s information architecture, rests on a conviction that is simple in its articulation but demanding in its practice: that the first responsibility of government communication in times of uncertainty is not to manage optics but to protect civic harmony, not to project an image of control but to actually help citizens navigate fear with accurate information, calm authority, and a consistent reminder of the values that hold a diverse community together. In this episode, that philosophy was visibly at work.
What this moment ultimately revealed, however, goes beyond the performance of any particular institution or individual. Its deepest lesson is about the people of Kano themselves. The decision not to escalate, the instinct to reach out to authorities rather than to act on rumor, the collective preference for engagement over confrontation, these were not the choices of a passive population waiting for government to solve its problems. They were the active choices of a community that has internalized, at some level, the understanding that peace is not a gift that governments bestow upon citizens. It is a responsibility that citizens exercise on behalf of one another, every time they choose restraint over reaction, verification over rumor, and dialogue over division.
This is precisely the civic consciousness that the Kano First Initiative was designed to cultivate. The framework’s emphasis on communal responsibility, on the role of citizens as active stakeholders in the state’s stability and development rather than passive recipients of government services, found its clearest expression not in any policy document or communication campaign but in the quiet, dignified choices of Kano’s residents in a moment when different choices were entirely available to them. In that sense, what happened in Kano recently was not merely an incident successfully managed. It was the Kano First philosophy made visible, a demonstration that the values the initiative champions are not foreign impositions or political aspirations but genuine reflections of something already present in the character of this city and its people.
Under the leadership of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, whose administration has consistently placed the peace, unity, and stability of Kano at the center of its governance philosophy, the expectation is not that crises will never arise. The expectation is that when they do, Kano’s institutions, leaders, and citizens will respond in ways that reflect the state’s highest values rather than its lowest fears. Recent events suggest that this expectation is not merely rhetorical. It is, slowly but meaningfully, becoming real.
There is, nonetheless, a caution that honest reflection requires. A single well-managed incident does not constitute a transformation. The civic maturity that Kano demonstrated in this episode needs to be nurtured, reinforced, and institutionally supported if it is to become a reliable feature of the state’s social fabric rather than an admirable exception. The media has a critical role to play in this process, by reporting responsibly, amplifying examples of civic wisdom, and refusing to become a vehicle for the kind of sensationalism that turns anxiety into panic. Civil society organizations, community leaders, traditional institutions, and professional associations must continue to invest in the relationships and communication channels that enable rapid, trusted responses to emerging tensions. And government must continue to demonstrate, through consistent action, that its commitment to Kano First is not contingent on political convenience.
Kano has always been more than a city. It is a civilization with a memory, a people with a tradition of navigating complexity with wisdom, and a community whose greatest strength has never been its uniformity but its remarkable, historically tested capacity for coexistence. When the next moment of testing arrives, and in a society as dynamic and diverse as Kano, it will, the question will be the same one that was asked and answered recently: will Kano choose peace? If the spirit of the Kano First Agenda continues to take root in the institutions and the hearts of its people, the answer, this writer believes, will continue to be yes.

Nworisa Michael is the Coordinator of the Inter-tribe Community Support Forum.
Contact: nworisamichael1917@gmail.com

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Opinion

Rabe Darma’s First 100 Days: Laying the Foundation for Nigeria’s Housing Renaissance

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5 days ago

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August 5, 2026

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By Ahmad Danyaro
Housing is more than bricks and mortar. It is about dignity, economic opportunity, social stability, and national development. Countries that have transformed their housing sectors have not merely built homes; they have built systems that make homeownership accessible, urban development sustainable, and investments attractive. Nigeria has long struggled to achieve these ideals, but the first 100 days of Engr. Dr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma as Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development have offered encouraging signs that a new era may be unfolding.
Since assuming office on 27 April , Dr. Darma has approached Nigeria’s housing challenge with a clear understanding that lasting solutions require more than commissioning housing estates. Rather, they demand comprehensive reforms that address the structural barriers responsible for decades of inadequate housing delivery. His administration has focused on land administration, investment promotion, institutional coordination, industry regulation, and social inclusion—areas that form the bedrock of a sustainable housing sector.
One of the defining initiatives of his first 100 days is the proposed nationwide Social Housing Programme, designed to extend affordable housing to all 774 Local Government Areas of the federation. The programme represents one of the most ambitious efforts to decentralise housing delivery in Nigeria’s history. If effectively implemented, it has the potential not only to reduce the country’s huge housing deficit but also to stimulate local economies through construction activities, job creation, and infrastructure development.
Equally significant is the programme’s emphasis on social inclusion. By prioritising women, children, victims of insecurity, internally displaced persons, and communities affected by natural disasters, the Minister has demonstrated that housing policy must also serve as social policy. In a nation grappling with displacement caused by insecurity and climate-related disasters, such an approach reflects both compassion and strategic thinking.
Within his first 100 days, Dr. Darma has also underscored the indispensable role of private-sector participation in addressing Nigeria’s housing deficit. Recognising that government resources alone cannot meet the nation’s housing needs, he has actively engaged international investors and development partners. His discussions with Japan’s CHODAI Company Limited and other prospective partners signal Nigeria’s renewed commitment to attracting global expertise, innovative technology, and long-term financing into the housing and infrastructure sectors.
Across the world, successful housing programmes are anchored on strong Public-Private Partnerships. By assuring investors that Nigeria remains open for business and committed to creating an enabling environment, the Minister is laying the groundwork for increased investment capable of accelerating housing delivery and modern urban development.
Perhaps the most transformative aspect of his reform agenda is the renewed focus on land administration.
For decades, access to land has remained one of the greatest obstacles to affordable housing in Nigeria. Lengthy registration processes, insecure titles, bureaucratic bottlenecks, and ownership disputes have discouraged investment while placing homeownership beyond the reach of many citizens. Dr. Darma’s commitment to the Nigerian Land Titling, Registration and Documentation Programme (NLTRDP) represents a bold effort to tackle these long-standing challenges.
The proposed digitalisation of land records, deployment of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), electronic documentation, and the establishment of a more efficient land administration framework promise to improve transparency, shorten processing timelines, and restore confidence in land ownership. These reforms may not generate the excitement of housing commissioning ceremonies, but they are precisely the institutional changes capable of transforming the sector over the long term.
The Minister has also demonstrated commendable resolve in addressing the persistent challenge of building collapses through stronger regulation of Nigeria’s built environment. His insistence on ending quackery, enforcing professional standards, and strengthening regulatory oversight reflects a commitment to safeguarding lives and restoring confidence in the construction industry.
By advocating a coordinated regulatory framework involving all professional bodies and stakeholders, Dr. Darma is reinforcing the principle that sustainable development must be underpinned by professionalism, accountability, and strict compliance with building standards.
Institutional efficiency has equally featured prominently in his first 100 days. Through engagements with Federal Controllers of Housing across the federation, the Minister has emphasized improved project monitoring, stronger inter-agency coordination, and enhanced accountability in project execution. These administrative reforms may receive less public attention, but they are essential to translating policy into measurable outcomes.
Naturally, the true test of any administration lies not in policy announcements but in implementation. Nigerians have witnessed ambitious programmes in the past that faltered due to inadequate funding, bureaucratic delays, weak political will, or inconsistent execution. The reforms initiated during these first 100 days must therefore be sustained through transparency, measurable targets, stakeholder collaboration, and rigorous monitoring.Even so, the direction being charted deserves recognition.
For perhaps the first time in many years, national conversations on housing are moving beyond the mere construction of houses towards broader institutional reforms encompassing land governance, digital transformation, investment attraction, professional regulation, and inclusive urban development. This holistic approach aligns more closely with global best practices and recognises housing as both a social necessity and a catalyst for economic growth.
Housing remains one of the strongest multipliers in any economy. It drives manufacturing, construction, transportation, financial services, and numerous small businesses while generating employment across multiple sectors. A vibrant housing industry strengthens communities, improves living standards, and contributes significantly to national development.
In his first 100 days, Engr. Dr. Muttaqha Rabe Darma has outlined an ambitious roadmap for the sector. His priorities are becoming increasingly clear, and his early interventions suggest a willingness to confront some of the most difficult structural challenges that have hindered Nigeria’s housing development for decades.
The journey ahead will undoubtedly be demanding. Expectations remain high, resources are limited, and implementation will ultimately determine the success of these reforms. However, if the momentum generated during these first 100 days is sustained with consistency, professionalism, and accountability, Nigeria’s housing sector could be on the threshold of a genuine transformation.
For millions of Nigerians who still dream of owning a decent and affordable home, that is a vision worth supportingand one that deserves every opportunity to succeed.
Danyaro is a Media and Public Affairs Analysts based in Abuja.

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WARAKA: The Story of Kano Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC)

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1 week ago

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August 3, 2026

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A Story by Nurse Ekwem Chinwendu Blessing (BNSC, RPHN, RM, RN)

I was out on my routine duty at Murtala Specialist Hospital for my ambulance service when I decided to take a walk to a centre I had heard about from Sir Muhammad Sunusi Specialist Hospital Accident and Emergency Unit. The centre is called WARAKA–SARC — ‘Waraka’ meaning ‘healing’ in the English language. It is housed in the same building with the Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), a beautiful block within Murtala Specialist Hospital. The centre comprises three offices and two toilets. Inside, the offices are adorned with colourful posters of alphabets, numbers, GBV survivors support, pathway for initial care after sexual assaults and domestic animals and pets, creating a quiet and therapeutic atmosphere. The staff are warm and friendly.

The centre was sponsored by non-governmental organisation’s (NGOs) and championed by four ministries in the state: the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Women Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, and the State Police Force. Unfortunately, the NGOs have since pulled out. WARAKA–SARC attends to cases of sexual assault and gender-based violence for both males and females. I was informed that between 7 and 12 September 2015, training was conducted for doctors, nurses, and counsellors on the management of such cases. Due to the high rate of reported incidents, the NGOs and the four aforementioned ministries pushed for the official opening of the centre.

During my visit, I met several members of staff: a nurse nearing retirement, counsellors, a receptionist, and a volunteer who also serves as the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer. She conducts serological tests such as pregnancy test (serum), HIV, HBsAg, HCV, and VDRL. I had expected to see a doctor trained to assist with forensic examinations, but none was present. I was told that doctors had indeed been trained to provide evidence-based care to clients; however, due to the high demand for medical personnel, they were redeployed to other hospitals and units. Due to that, When a client presents — whether as a case of domestic violence or assault — they are referred to the Gynaecology Emergency Unit, the Gynaecology Ward, the Accident and Emergency Unit, or the Paediatric Unit, depending on the client’s age and the nature of the assault. Following examination, the client returns to WARAKA–SARC for further management, including counselling and serology. On average, the centre sees about fifty clients per week.

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Notwithstanding these challenges, this is the only functioning centre in the state that attends to cases of sexual assault and gender-based violence. I noted that all services rendered to clients are free of charge, and the centre also provides continuous follow-up care.

Based on my observation, WARAKA–SARC is a sensitive and vital centre. I therefore suggest the following measures to improve the care and services provided to clients:

· The deployment of medical personnel — including doctors, nurses, and counselling psychologists — to the centre.

· The four ministries should consistently include the centre in their annual budgets.

· Continuous engagement of staff through training, rural outreach programmes, community sensitisation, and the provision of incentives.

· NGOs should resume and sustain their collaboration with the centre.

· Proper referral pathways for clients to the centre must be established and maintained.

· The Ministry of Justice should make it mandatory for all cases of sexual assault and gender-based violence to pass through WARAKA–SARC before trial. This will enhance the centre’s visibility among individuals and communities.

· Additional centres should be established in strategic local government areas to bring services closer to rural communities far from Kano town, thereby improving access and utilisation.

· Community enlightenment on the importance of the centre and the need to seek help freely when necessary.

· Religious and community leaders should partner with the centre to promote peace and encourage community members to utilise its services.

 

Speak out, get help — end the cycle of violence.

WARAKA SARC: Your path to healing and justice.

Stop GBV. Support survivors. Strengthen justice.

WARAKA SARC: Restoring dignity, rebuilding lives.

Supporting survivors with care, dignity, and compassion.

WARAKA SARC — A Safe Space for Healing.

 

WARAKA–SARC HOTLINES

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How Kano Digitized Land Turns N50m to N750m Monthly

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1 week ago

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August 3, 2026

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– Abba Ka Cika Gwarzo…

By Abba Anwar

Land administration, safety and security of land documents are dancing gorgeously to the gallery, as the administration of His Excellency, Executive Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf digitalized and institutionalized land administration and ownership in the last three years.

Study tour to Kano Geographic Information System (KANGIS), by states like Abia, Kaduna, Jigawa, Adamawa, among others is a clear testimony that Kano is making headway with excellent innovations in land administration and management. Analog to digital development.

Before now, KANGIS was a small unit /department under the state Ministry of Land and Physical Planning. But when Governor Yusuf came on board, the agency turned into full-fledged and autonomous agency with the establishment Law. Normal legislative procedures were followed. And now an independent agency. This makes seamless operations possible. With clear mandate and global taste.

Billions of Naira injected in overhauling and modernizing the agency, were recovered within six months of becoming an autonomous agency. With full Information Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure which turned the face of the agency via digital and GIS infrastructures, pave the way for that.

Employing GIS enterprise, that is modernizing land administration, beginning from land application to the level of acquiring Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) has now become a seamless operation. Where slow operation fades away.

For Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) the agency was generating a maximum of Fifty Million Naira (N50m) monthly. With the new Law in place and dedicated leadership, from His Excellency down to the Director General of the agency, Dr Dalhatu Aliyu Sani, and dedicated staff, KANGIS can now boost of generating a maximum of up to Seven Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N750m) monthly.

Racketeering of land documents by touts and weak minded internal elements, has significantly minimized. A system has now been in place for a land applicant to monitor the movement and progress of his or her application from the comfort of one’s room.

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There is an improved manpower, who are always undergoing training and retraining. To cope with the global best practice. With this and the digitalization of the agency, corruption is being reduced to minimal level in the administration and management of land. So also laziness from the part of the staff, unproductive posture, double allocation and insecured process for land ownership are all shelved aside.

Under the wisdom of His Excellency, the Governor, the agency, KANGIS, works hand in hand with the state ministry for land and physical planning. Unlike in some other states, where such agencies wall out ministries of land. Not only maintaining the two institutions, in Kano, both the agency and the ministry work harmoniously in rancour-free atmosphere.

Though land ministry is the mother ministry, but rivalry between them is significantly at the lowest level. It may interest one to know that all payments of the ministry are paid through KANGIS.

The Director General of KANGIS Dr Sani is a renown scholar of geographic information system of global repute, who was invited by Governor Yusuf from far away Turkey, to come and serve his state. Without hesitation, Dr Sani responded positively to His Excellency’s request. Here he is, Dr Sani brought many strategies and innovations to KANGIS. The political will of the Governor helps much in this development. That has eluded the agency since its creation in 2012.

Understanding the genuine political will and commitment of the Governor towards the spirit development of the agency, the good working relationship between all the political appointees and staff of the agency and the mother ministry, is strengthening day in day out. They all understand what team work is to the development of the state.

Ranging from the Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Abudujjabar Muhammad Umar, Adviser to the Governor on Land Matters, Hadiza Gadanya, Director General of KANGIS, Dr Dalhatu Aliyu Sani, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Land Matters, Alhaji Ahmad down to the Senior Special Reporter Nanu Kankarofi, all believe and understand what team work is and what Governor Yusuf wants in reshaping land administration, control and ownership in the state. Kudos to them all.

Another important picture of Governor’s genuine love for a new Kano is his non-interference in KANGIS’s operations and technical decisions. Being an autonomous with competent hand as the Director General, Governor Yusuf believes he puts a square peg in a square hole. At KANGIS and the mother ministry, modernization with global touch is quite visible. It was this visibility, I guessed, that prompted other states to come to Kano and start shopping for ingenious land administration.

I can still remember vividly clear, when the immediate past Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Ahmad Dangiwa visited KANGIS sometime back, he informed the DG that when he returned back to Abuja, he would inform President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to kindly urge other states of the federation to come to Kano and visit KANGIS for them to replicate Kano model of land administration. I don’t know if that really happened.

With the full operation and commitment of KANGIS and Land Ministry, Kano Master Plan of over 30 years is now being undusted and ready to be revisited word by word. This is possible as a result of Governor Yusuf’s political will and commitment.

Anwar writes from Kano
Monday, 3rd August, 2026

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