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How Abba Yusuf Is Positioning Kano as the Commercial and Industrial Capital of Northern Nigeria

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4 months ago

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Saminu Umar Ph.D, Senior Lecture; Department of Information and Media Studies, Bayero University, Kano surijyarzaki@gmail.com
There is a particular kind of political courage that does not announce itself with drama, does not seek the validation of crowds, and does not wait for the approval of godfathers. It is the kind that sits quietly inside a budget document, inside a policy decision, inside an early morning visit to a dying industrial estate, inside the deliberate and systematic dismantling of decades of economic underperformance. It is the kind of courage that says, not in speeches but in actions, that a great city will not accept a diminished destiny.
That is the story of Kano under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf. And it is a story that is only just beginning to be fully told. To appreciate what Governor Yusuf is building, one must first confront, honestly and without sentimentality, what Kano had become before he assumed office in May 2023.
Kano was once, without serious dispute, the undisputed commercial and industrial capital of Northern Nigeria and one of the most economically consequential cities on the African continent. Its trans-Saharan trade connections, dating back more than five centuries, made it a terminal point of commerce linking sub-Saharan Africa to North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Its groundnut pyramids, towering monuments of agricultural productivity that defined Nigeria’s pre-oil economy, symbolised a city that understood how to convert natural resources into national wealth. Its textile mills, at their peak employing hundreds of thousands of workers, made it one of West Africa’s most productive manufacturing centres. Its leather industry, anchored on the ancient Kofar Mata dye pits that have operated continuously for over 500 years, produced finished goods that travelled to markets in France, Italy, and across the Arab world.
Then came decades of policy neglect, energy poverty, deindustrialisation, and a political culture that prioritised the personal ambitions of powerful individuals over the developmental needs of a city of millions. The groundnut pyramids disappeared. The textile mills fell silent. The industrial estates, Sharada, Bompai, and Challawa, which once hummed with the sound of productive enterprise, became landscapes of rusting machinery, abandoned factory floors, and unfulfilled potential. Kano did not lose its identity overnight. It lost it slowly, painfully, and largely in silence.
Governor Yusuf inherited that silence. He is determined to fill it with something far more enduring.
The most honest and revealing thing any governor can show you is not a speech. It is a budget. Speeches are aspirations. Budgets are commitments. And the budget Governor Yusuf signed into law for 2026, a historic N1.477 trillion appropriation, the largest in Kano’s entire history, is a commitment of extraordinary ambition and clarity.
Of that figure, 68 percent, representing the overwhelming majority of public expenditure, is allocated to capital projects. Infrastructure receives N346.2 billion, education N405.3 billion, and health N212.2 billion. These are not the budget lines of a government managing decline. They are the budget lines of a government engineering a renaissance.
The infrastructure allocation alone signals the governor’s understanding that no city can reclaim commercial and industrial leadership without the physical foundations to support it. Urban road expansions, transformer procurement, solar streetlight installation across the state, housing development initiatives, and market renovation projects spanning all 44 local government areas of the state are not isolated interventions. They are components of a coherent spatial development strategy designed to make Kano physically competitive with any commercial city in West Africa.
The 2025 budget, which preceded this historic 2026 appropriation, recorded over 80 percent implementation performance, a figure that speaks not merely to financial planning but to execution capacity, the rarest and most valuable quality in Nigerian state governance.
No commercial or industrial capital can sustain itself on infrastructure alone. It requires people. Educated, skilled, healthy, and economically empowered people who can drive enterprise, absorb technology, and participate meaningfully in a modern economy. Governor Yusuf understands this with a clarity that is reflected in every major policy decision his administration has taken.
In education, the results are already visible and measurable. Kano ranked first in Nigeria’s 2025 NECO results, a historic achievement for a state that had watched its educational standards erode for years. That ranking did not emerge from luck. It emerged from a state of emergency declared on the education sector, backed by mass classroom renovations, free basic education, payment of NECO fees for students, an expanded scholarship programme, the recruitment of 400 Mathematics teachers, and the establishment of Kano State Polytechnic in Gaya to extend technical and vocational education to the state’s southern corridor.
In healthcare, the administration has invested N149.7 billion in upgrading hospitals across local government areas, launched the Abba Care Scheme to expand health insurance coverage, and partnered with international organisations to strengthen maternal and newborn health services across the North West region.
In women and youth empowerment, over N334 million has been disbursed to 6,680 women across all 44 local government areas, each receiving a monthly stipend of N50,000 to grow their businesses and support their families. More than N800 million has been invested in youth empowerment programmes benefiting over 5,300 young people. Tricycles have been distributed to enable young men and women engage in productive economic activities. These are not welfare gestures. They are deliberate investments in the human capital of a city that intends to lead.
Perhaps the most strategically significant dimension of Governor Yusuf’s industrial vision is his understanding that no state government, regardless of the quality of its internal governance, can fully reposition a city of Kano’s size and complexity without sustained federal partnership. The resources, the regulatory architecture, the trade facilitation frameworks, the innovation infrastructure, and the international connections required to make Kano the commercial and industrial capital of Northern Nigeria exist, in significant measure, at the federal level.
That understanding was at the heart of his historic decision to align Kano with the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Critics characterised the decision in political terms. The governor has consistently characterised it in developmental terms. The distinction matters enormously.
The immediate and most visible fruit of that alignment is the national launch of the Energise Commercialisation Now initiative in Kano from April 23 to 25, 2026, to be flagged off by Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu, CON, First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The programme, designed to identify commercially viable innovations, connect them with investors and manufacturers, and scale them into enterprises that create jobs and generate wealth, is precisely the kind of federal intervention that Kano’s industrial revival requires.
For Kano’s universities, including Bayero University Kano, Kano University of Science and Technology Wudil, and Northwest University Kano, the ECoN initiative creates a structured pipeline from academic research to commercial application. For the innovators and entrepreneurs in Kano’s vibrant informal sector, it creates access to financing, mentorship, and market connections that were previously unavailable. For the industrial estates of Sharada, Bompai, and Challawa, it signals the arrival of the investment mobilisation agenda that could finally reverse decades of industrial decline.
A commercial and industrial capital cannot ignore the productive hinterland that feeds it, supplies its raw materials, and employs the majority of its population. Governor Yusuf has not made that mistake.
His administration has procured 199,000 bags of fertiliser for distribution to farmers across the state, approved 11 mini-dams to support year-round agricultural production, and hired new agricultural extension workers to improve farming practices and productivity. It has revived garment clusters in all 44 local government areas, remodelled major markets, and strengthened SME support structures that connect small producers to larger commercial networks.
On the environment, the administration has planted over 5.5 million trees under its Climate Change Policy, cleared drainage channels across the state, and procured waste management equipment to address the urban environmental challenges that deter investment and reduce quality of life in major commercial cities. These are the actions of a government that understands that sustainable commercial and industrial leadership requires a liveable, well-managed, and environmentally responsible city.
Political analysts tracking Kano’s trajectory have begun to note a pattern that goes beyond routine governance. Governor Yusuf, they observe, has spent the past two years systematically rebuilding Kano’s institutional foundations, redirecting loyalty structures toward Government House, and positioning the state for a new era of political and economic relevance that will define not only the 2027 general elections but the decade beyond them.
The governor himself has been characteristically direct about his intentions. He designated 2026 as the Year of Youth Employment and Peace, a declaration that frames job creation not as a political promise but as a governance priority with a specific timeline and a clear accountability framework. He has engaged members of the National Assembly representing Kano in structured dialogue designed to align state executive priorities with federal legislative action, creating a coordination architecture that maximises the state’s ability to attract and deploy federal resources.
The result of all this is a Kano that is, for the first time in a generation, moving with purpose, direction, and momentum toward the commercial and industrial leadership that its history, its people, and its potential have always demanded.
Kano did not build its legacy in a day. The trans-Saharan traders who made this city a continental commercial crossroads did not do so through speeches or political rallies. They did it through consistent, disciplined, and visionary work across generations. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is drawing on that same tradition, applying it to the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century, and doing so with the full weight of a state government that has finally, decisively, and irreversibly placed the interests of its people at the centre of every decision it makes.

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The commercial and industrial capital of Northern Nigeria is not a title to be claimed. It is a status to be earned, sustained, and defended through the quality of governance, the depth of investment, and the courage of leadership.

 

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Opinion

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

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3 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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Opinion

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

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5 days 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.

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WARAKA SARC: Restoring dignity, rebuilding lives.

Supporting survivors with care, dignity, and compassion.

WARAKA SARC — A Safe Space for Healing.

 

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Opinion

How Kano Digitized Land Turns N50m to N750m Monthly

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5 days 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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