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Stability, Continuity And Consolidation. What The Nomination Of Murtala Sule Garo Tells Us About Governor’s Vision For Kano

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4 months ago

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Governance, at its most fundamental level, is not a series of isolated decisions. It is a coherent and sustained act of institutional will, expressed through the accumulation of choices that, taken together, reveal the values, the priorities, and the long-term vision of the leader making them.

Every appointment a governor makes, every vacancy he fills, every partner he chooses to place beside him at the highest levels of the state’s executive, is a window into his understanding of what governance requires, what his people deserve, and what kind of state he intends to build by the time his tenure is complete. When Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf transmitted the name of Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo to the Kano State House of Assembly on April 22, 2026, for screening and confirmation as Deputy Governor, he opened precisely such a window. And what it reveals about his governance vision for Kano is both illuminating and deeply reassuring

The context in which this nomination was made is inseparable from its meaning. Kano’s political space had been in active turbulence for months, shaped by the seismic consequences of Governor Yusuf’s defection from the New Nigeria Peoples Party to the All Progressives Congress, the resignation of former Deputy Governor Abdussalam Gwarzo on March 27, 2026, amid impeachment proceedings triggered by disagreements over party affiliation, and the fierce public debate about loyalty, identity, and political direction that those events generated across the state.

In the midst of that turbulence, a lesser political leader might have been tempted to make a hasty appointment, to fill the vacancy quickly with a figure whose primary qualification was political convenience rather than governance competence, and to move on. Governor Yusuf chose a different path entirely. He took his time. He consulted widely. He thought carefully. And he arrived at a nomination that speaks not to the pressures of the moment but to the demands of the long term

That choice, deliberate and consultative rather than reactive and expedient, is itself a governance statement

It says that this administration understands the difference between managing a political crisis and building a governance legacy. It says that the vacancy created by Gwarzo’s departure was not merely a constitutional inconvenience to be resolved at the earliest opportunity but a governance challenge to be addressed with the full weight of strategic thought and stakeholder engagement that it deserved. And it says, most importantly, that the person chosen to fill that vacancy was selected not because of what his appointment would do for the politics of the moment but because of what his presence in the deputy governor’s office will do for the governance of the state across the remainder of this administration’s term and beyond

Murtala Sule Garo brings to this moment a profile that is uniquely suited to the three governance imperatives that his nomination signals most clearly: stability, continuity, and consolidation. These are not abstract governance concepts. In the specific context of Kano State in April 2026, they are urgent, concrete, and measurable requirements that the administration’s development agenda depends upon for its successful execution.
Stability, in this context, means the restoration of a fully constituted and functionally coherent executive that can manage the complex, multi-layered demands of governing Nigeria’s most populous state without the distraction, the vulnerability, and the institutional incompleteness that a deputy governor vacancy inevitably creates. Garo’s nomination addresses that requirement directly and comprehensively

His reputation as a calm, strategic, and calculated political actor, his well-documented ability to navigate complex political environments without generating unnecessary friction, and his long-established relationships with the diverse stakeholder communities across Kano’s 44 local government areas make him precisely the stabilising presence that the executive requires at this juncture. In a political terrain where competing elite interests, factional pressures, and legislative-executive dynamics create a continuous requirement for careful management and diplomatic skill, a deputy governor whose defining political characteristics include consensus-building, strategic pragmatism, and cross-factional accessibility is not merely a useful addition to the executive. He is an essential one.
Continuity, in this context, means the uninterrupted pursuit of the development agenda that Governor Yusuf’s administration has been executing since May 2023, an agenda anchored on the Kano First philosophy and expressed through the most ambitious budget in the state’s history, a N1.477 trillion appropriation for 2026 with 68 percent directed at capital projects, historic investments in education that produced Kano’s first-place ranking in the 2025 NECO results, women and youth empowerment programmes that have disbursed over N334 million to 6,680 women entrepreneurs and more than N800 million to over 5,300 young people, agricultural revitalisation through 199,000 bags of fertiliser, 11 approved mini-dams, and expanded extension worker deployment, and a security architecture strengthened by 2,000 trained Neighbourhood Watch operatives across the state. All of that work is in motion

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All of it requires sustained executive focus, institutional coherence, and leadership alignment to deliver the outcomes that the people of Kano have been promised and that the data already shows are beginning to materialise. A deputy governor whose career has been defined by institutional commitment, administrative discipline, and a governance philosophy centred on community-driven, locally responsive delivery is a deputy governor who will protect and advance that continuity rather than disrupt it

Garo’s experience as Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs is particularly relevant to the continuity imperative. The Kano First Agenda’s most tangible outcomes, the empowerment programmes, the infrastructure projects, the agricultural interventions, the security structures, are delivered not from the corridors of Government House but through the 44 local government areas of the state, each with its own administrative dynamics, its own community priorities, and its own relationship with the state executive. A deputy governor who has spent years at the intersection of state policy and local government implementation, who has managed the relationships between formal administrative structures and traditional authority systems, and who has built a statewide network of trust and engagement across every local government area through his tenure as ALGON Chairman, is a deputy governor who can ensure that the administration’s development agenda reaches every community in Kano with the fidelity and the effectiveness that the governor’s vision demands

Consolidation, in this context, means the deliberate and strategic strengthening of the APC coalition in Kano, the deepening of the political relationships, the broadening of the stakeholder base, and the building of the institutional structures that will carry the administration through the remainder of its current term and position it competitively for the 2027 electoral cycle. This is perhaps the most politically sensitive of the three imperatives, and it is the one that Garo’s profile addresses with the greatest precision and the most compelling credibility. His candidacy as the APC’s Deputy Governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, his ward-level mobilisation work across all 44 local government areas of the state, his deep relationships with party structures, community leaders, traditional institutions, women’s groups, and youth organisations in every corner of Kano, and his reputation as a loyal party man who rose through the APC’s organisational ranks through long-term commitment rather than opportunistic positioning, all combine to make him the ideal instrument of political consolidation for an administration that is simultaneously managing the consequences of a major defection and building the foundations of a new and broader political coalition.
The public response to Garo’s nomination has provided the most immediate and powerful confirmation of the consolidation logic behind it.

The spontaneous street celebrations that erupted across Kano metropolis and beyond within hours of the announcement, the viral videos of youths chanting “Sai Abba” and “Sai Garo” through major roads, carrying portraits of the governor and his nominee in scenes of genuine and unmanufactured popular enthusiasm, were not merely expressions of personal affection for a well-liked politician. They were expressions of public relief, of the relief that a population feels when its government demonstrates, through a specific and consequential decision, that it is thinking clearly, acting strategically, and choosing its partners with the care and the seriousness that the responsibilities of governance demand

That relief is itself a governance outcome. A population that trusts its government’s judgment is a population that is more likely to engage with its programmes, support its initiatives, absorb its policies, and extend the patience that ambitious development agendas inevitably require. By making a nomination that has generated genuine and widespread public confidence, Governor Yusuf has strengthened not only his executive team but his broader governance environment, creating the conditions of public trust and political stability within which his administration’s most ambitious objectives can be most effectively pursued

The nomination of Murtala Sule Garo is, in the final analysis, a portrait of a governor who knows exactly what he is doing and exactly why he is doing it. It is a portrait of a leader who has looked at the governance challenges before him, assessed the political landscape around him, and made a choice that addresses both with the intelligence, the foresight, and the strategic clarity that Kano’s 20 million people have every right to expect from the man they elected to lead them. Stability, continuity, and consolidation are not merely words in a governance document. Under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, they are becoming the defining characteristics of a state that is moving, with deliberate and unstoppable purpose, toward the future its people deserve.

Aliyu Mohammed Idris,PhD
President
Northern Your Assembly,

Hafiz Abubakar, PhD
23rd April, 2026
Secretary General
Northern Youth Assembly
23rd April, 2026

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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.

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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0902 894 4933

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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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