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Abba Yusuf’s Most Audacious Bet: Why the Kano First Initiative May Be His Greatest Legacy

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2 months ago

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By Saminu Umar Ph.D | Senior Lecturer, Department of Information and Media Studies, Bayero University, Kano. surijyarzaki@gmail.com

There is a moment in the life of every consequential leader when the demands of the present collide with the responsibilities of the future, and the leader must choose which master to serve. For Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State, that moment appears to have arrived quietly, without fanfare, in the form of a policy document that carries a deceptively simple title: the Kano First Initiative. It is a document that deserves far more public attention than it has so far received, because what it represents is not merely another government programme, but a fundamental rethinking of what governance in Kano State is actually for.
Most governors build roads. Most governors commission hospitals and schools. Most governors cut ribbons and hold press conferences. Governor Yusuf is doing all of those things, but the Kano First Initiative signals that he is also attempting something far more difficult and far more consequential: he is trying to rebuild the moral and social architecture of a society that has, over decades of misgovernance, institutional neglect, and cultural erosion, lost significant confidence in itself and in its institutions. That is not a small ambition. It is, by any measure, an audacious one.
To understand why this initiative matters so profoundly, one must first understand the depth of the problem it is trying to solve. Kano is not merely facing economic underdevelopment or infrastructural deficit, serious as those challenges are. Kano is facing what the Kano First policy framework correctly identifies as a normative and behavioral crisis, a crisis of values. The evidence is not difficult to find. Youth disaffection has reached levels that manifest in drug abuse, street violence, and political thuggery. Civic responsibility, once a hallmark of Kano’s communal identity, has weakened dramatically. Institutional trust is at historic lows. And the digital media ecosystem, rather than serving as a tool of enlightenment, has in too many instances become a vehicle for misinformation, polarization, and moral dislocation.
These are not superficial problems. They are the accumulated wounds of a society that was promised development and received instead a succession of administrations that looted its treasury, hollowed out its institutions, and left its citizens, particularly its youth, with neither opportunity nor direction. The Kano First Initiative is Governor Yusuf’s response to that inheritance. And it is, on close examination, a remarkably sophisticated one.
What makes the initiative intellectually serious, rather than merely rhetorically ambitious, is its grounding in three converging traditions that give it both cultural legitimacy and analytical credibility. The first is Islamic ethical governance, the recognition that Kano’s historical strength was built on a moral order that placed trust, justice, accountability, and knowledge at the center of public life. The second is Kano’s own sociocultural heritage, a heritage of communal responsibility, respect for legitimate authority, and the dignity of productive labor. The third is the modern science of behavioral change communication, the evidence-based understanding that sustainable social transformation requires not just legislation and enforcement, but the deliberate reshaping of norms, narratives, and perceived expectations.
By weaving these three traditions together into a single policy architecture, the Kano First Initiative achieves something that is genuinely rare in Nigerian state governance: it offers a framework that is simultaneously rooted in local culture, consistent with religious values, and informed by global best practice. It does not import foreign solutions and impose them on Kano’s social landscape. It excavates Kano’s own historical foundations, the Islamic scholarship, the trading ethics, the communal solidarity, and proposes to rebuild on them. That is not just good policy. It is good politics. And it is, above all, honest.
The honesty of the initiative deserves particular emphasis, because it is rare. The policy document, produced under the intellectual stewardship of the Hon. Commissioner, Ministry of Information and Internal Affairs, does not pretend that Kano’s problems are small or that they will yield quickly to government intervention. It acknowledges, plainly and without evasion, that the state faces systemic value erosion, a rapidly expanding and underserved youth population, a strained educational system, and the corrosive effects of an unregulated digital information environment. It then proposes, with appropriate humility, that the response to these challenges must be long-term, evidence-driven, inclusive, and adaptive. A government that speaks this honestly about the scale of its challenges is a government that has earned the right to be taken seriously.
The four-phase implementation architecture, stretching from 2026 through 2030, is itself a statement of seriousness. Phase One builds the empirical foundation: baseline surveys, perception mapping, institutional readiness assessments, and the development of a master narrative framework. Phase Two moves into intensive multi-channel engagement, coordinated media campaigns, deep youth programming, and structured partnerships with religious and traditional institutions. Phase Three scales what works and deepens digital operations. Phase Four embeds the initiative permanently into Kano’s governance architecture through a dedicated directorate and an annual Kano Values Index. This is not the timeline of a government chasing headlines. It is the timeline of a government genuinely committed to transformation.
It would be intellectually dishonest, and professionally irresponsible, to celebrate this initiative without also acknowledging the risks it carries. The gap between policy ambition and implementation reality is, in Nigerian governance, historically vast. Funding constraints, political resistance, bureaucratic inertia, and the ever-present temptation to reduce a values-based initiative to a publicity campaign are all genuine threats to the Kano First Initiative’s success. The framework itself acknowledges these risks, and that acknowledgement is reassuring. But acknowledgement alone is not mitigation. The governor and his team will need to demonstrate, through visible, consistent, and measurable action, that the words of this document are matched by the deeds of his administration.
They will also need to guard against the inevitable attempt by political opportunists, within and outside the administration, to colonize the initiative’s brand without contributing to its substance. A values restoration agenda that becomes associated with political self-promotion rather than genuine civic renewal will lose the public trust it is trying to build before it has even fully established it. The integrity of the initiative must be protected with the same vigilance with which its content was developed.
And yet, with all those caveats duly registered, it remains the considered judgment of this writer that the Kano First Initiative represents the most intellectually serious and socially ambitious governance commitment that Kano State has seen in a very long time. It asks the right questions. It draws on the right foundations. It proposes the right methods. And it is backed by a governor who, whatever his political critics may say, has demonstrated a genuine willingness to make difficult and courageous decisions in the interest of Kano’s long-term future.
History will ultimately judge Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf not by the roads he built or the contracts he awarded, but by whether he succeeded in restoring Kano’s confidence in itself. The Kano First Initiative is his most audacious attempt to do precisely that. If it is implemented with fidelity, and if the people of Kano claim it as their own rather than leaving it to government alone, it may well be remembered as the defining achievement of his administration. Not a legacy of concrete and asphalt, but a legacy of restored values, rebuilt trust, and a society reoriented toward its own greatness. That, in the final analysis, is what great governance looks like.

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Saminu Umar Ph.D is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Information and Media Studies, Bayero University, Kano.

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Opinion

May Day Without Meaning: The Silence of Empty Pockets

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22 hours ago

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May 2, 2026

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By Comrade Lamara Garba

Every year, on the first of May, the world pauses to honour labour. It is a day known globally as International Workers’ Day, a symbolic tribute to the dignity of work and the sacrifices of workers across generations. In theory, it is a day of solidarity, a chorus of voices declaring that the worker is not invisible. In practice, however, the Nigerian reality tells a different story, one that is deeply troubling and hard to justify.

In Nigeria, May Day has become less of a celebration and more of a contradiction.

What does it mean to celebrate labour in a country where workers remain unpaid after thirty days of honest commitment? What dignity is being honoured when civil servants who sustain the machinery of governance mark the day with empty wallets and uncertain futures? The drums may beat and the banners may rise, but beneath the surface lies a quiet suffering that refuses to be ignored.

There is something deeply troubling about this situation. The worker who gives time, energy, and often health to the service of the state is reduced to a spectator in his own struggle. The day that should amplify his voice instead buries it under speeches and routine displays of solidarity.

Nigeria formally aligned itself with the global labour movement when it joined the International Labour Organization on May 1, 1981. It was a moment that promised fairness, justice, and improved working conditions. Many years later, it is fair to ask what has truly changed for the Nigerian worker.

The gap between promise and reality has only grown wider.

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Today, a litre of fuel sells at nearly ₦1,400. The cost of living continues to rise beyond the reach of ordinary citizens. In contrast, the minimum wage remains ₦70,000. This amount cannot sustain a family for even a week. It reflects a painful disconnect between policy decisions and the everyday reality of workers.

To put it simply, Nigerian workers are not only underpaid, they are undervalued.

This raises a serious question. What is the value of labour in a society that does not reward it? When effort is not matched with fair compensation, the sense of justice begins to fade. Workers become discouraged, not just with their employers, but with the system as a whole.

Then come the rallies.

Labour leaders step forward to address workers who have not been paid. They speak about unity, resilience, and hope. Yet hope becomes difficult to accept when it is not supported by action. Solidarity loses meaning when it does not lead to real change.

The labour movement is built on a simple idea that an injury to one is an injury to all. It calls for collective concern and shared responsibility. In Nigeria, however, this idea often remains only in words.

How can workers celebrate May Day without receiving their April salaries? How can there be celebration when basic obligations have not been met? This situation is not just an administrative failure. It is a moral failure.

Silence in such moments becomes part of the problem.

The real concern is not only that workers are suffering, but that their suffering is being treated as normal. The celebrations continue as if unpaid salaries are a minor issue instead of a serious violation of workers’ rights. This acceptance weakens the collective conscience and makes change more difficult.

There is also a quiet sadness in this reality. Nigerian workers continue to wake early, face daily challenges, and carry out their duties despite the hardship. Their perseverance is admirable, but it should not be mistaken for acceptance. Endurance does not replace justice.

If May Day is to have meaning, it must return to its true purpose. It should be a day of reflection and truth, not routine celebration. It should be a moment to confront reality rather than ignore it.

Perhaps the most honest way to observe this day in Nigeria is through accountability. Celebration should come only when there is something to celebrate.

At present, many workers have little reason to do so.

The responsibility lies with workers, labour leaders, policymakers, and society as a whole. The meaning of May Day must be reclaimed. It should be a day that challenges injustice and demands change.

Until Nigerian workers are paid fairly, treated with respect, and truly valued, May Day will remain a day of remembrance rather than progress. It will continue to remind us of how much still needs to be done.

Comrade Lamara Garba, a veteran journalist, was a former Chairman of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Kano State.

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Opinion

Kano North Must Not Get lt Wrong : Why Returning Senator Barau Jibrin CFR is a Strategic Imperative

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2 days ago

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May 1, 2026

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By Muazu A. Ishaq

In moments of electoral decision, societies are often confronted with a choice that goes beyond sentiments and party affiliation to the deeper question of consolidation and continuity versus disruption, a moment when the electorate must pause, look beyond the noise of detractors and ask a fundamental question; can we afford to make this costly mistake? For the good people of Kano North Senatorial District that moment is now, the coming 2027 electoral cycle presents such a moment one that demands careful reflection, not sentiment. The stakes are not about party loyalty or sentimental rhetoric, it is about avoiding a mistake whose consequences could reverberate for years.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Barau I. Jibrin PhD CFR, has, over time, built a record that is both visible and measurable. His re-election, therefore, is not merely about sustaining a political career; it is about preserving a strategic advantage that Kano North currently enjoys within Nigeria’s national power structure.

As the number five citizen in the country, his position offers the zone direct access to influence, opportunities, and federal preseence, assets that are neither automatic nor easily replaced.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Senator Barau’s stewardship is his deliberate investment in human capital development.
While some politicians are busy sponsoring mudslinging campaigns to tarnish his growing national image, Senator Barau has been busy building a future for Kano youth.

Recently, the first batch of his foreign-trained scholars returned home; 16 graduates in Cyber Security and Forensic Science and 10 graduates in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. These are not ordinary certificates. These are the tools of the 21st-century economy, and they are now in the hands of sons and daughters of Kano North.

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Subsequent batches are on the way. This is a pipeline of excellence. Lose Barau, and you lose the architect of this intellectual revolution.

If anyone doubts the scale of Senator Barau’s grassroots reach, let them examine the events of April 19, 2026. In a continuation of his legendary mega empowerment programmes, the Deputy President of the Senate distributed 47 brand new cars and 282 motorcycles to critical stakeholders and grassroots mobilizers across the 13 LGAs in Kano North including party chairmen, party secretaries, primary school headmasters, and secondary school principals among others. This was a strategic injection of mobility and dignity into the very fabric of the zone’s leadership.

Just five days later, on April 24, 2026, Senator Barau proved that his empowerment is not a one-off event but a continuous process. He announced the continuation of yet another significant programme that was launched previous month; a cash donation of ₦100,000 each to 100 beneficiaries in every single one of the 13 LGAs of Kano North.

Taken together, these initiatives reflect a leadership approach that is both strategic and people-centered. They are not isolated gestures but components of a broader vision aimed at uplifting communities, strengthening institutions, and preparing the next generation for global competitiveness.
It is, therefore, not surprising that such a rising profile at the national level may attract political opposition and attempts at distraction.

However, elections should ultimately be guided by evidence, performance, and the long-term interests of the people not by transient narratives.
Kano North today occupies a position of relevance in Nigeria’s political and developmental landscape. This is not accidental; it is the product of deliberate engagement, years of strategic alliances, and consistent delivery. To risk losing this standing would be to step back from a trajectory of progress that is already yielding results.

The decision before the electorate is therefore clear. It is a choice between consolidating and sustaining democratic gains or starting afresh; between sustained access to national influence or uncertain repositioning. In making that choice, the people must ask themselves a simple question: which path best secures their future?

Avoiding a regrettable mistake requires clarity of purpose and fidelity to facts. The record speaks for itself. Continuity, in this instance, is not just desirable, it is essential.

As Kano North looks ahead, the imperative is to protect its voice, preserve its advantage, and ensure that the momentum of development is not interrupted. Re-electing Senator Barau Jibrin is, therefore, not just a political decision it is a strategic investment in the future of the constituency.

Muazu A. Ishaq
+2348038981655
muazuabdullahi29@gmail.com

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Opinion

DSP Barau and “Abandoned Projects” : An Appraisal

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4 days ago

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April 29, 2026

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By Abba Anwar

Only those who know and understand the sluggish nature of budget implementation under different administrations, can understand whether projects are deliberately abandoned by their initiators and facilitators. Or whether the onus is on the pattern of implementation and implementors.

If Kaduna Eastern Bypass, initiated 2002, Abuja-Lokoja highway started in 2006, Kano-Maiduguri of 2007, Sokoto – Tambuwal- Jega-Kontagora, flagged – off in 2009, Abuja-Minna of 2010, among other abandoned federal projects, are not marked as noise making hubs, why then is Kano-Gwarzo-Dayi, that was flagged – off in June, 2021, can deliberately be tagged as point of condemnation by noise makers?

Kano-Gwarzo-Dayi federal road, as facilitated by the Deputy President of the Senate, His Excellency Barau I Jibrin, CFR, since 2021, though abandoned at a point, up to January, 2026, the work has resumed since February, 2026, this year.

Senator Jibrin worked hard and made sure that, the sum of Thirty Seven Billion Naira (N37,000,000,000) only was appropriated in 2026 Appropriation Bill, which has now become Act. After that he also pushed, very well for the additional Six Billion and Three Hundred Million Naira (N6, 300,000,000) only.

Unlike DSP’s facilitated federal road project of Kano-Gwarzo-Dayi, which was flagged – off in 2021, as contractors are back to site, since February, this year, there are many abandoned federal road projects, scattered around the country, whose resumption of work, with so many of the projects, is still elusive.

Such as Makurdi-Naka-Adoka-Ankpa federal road flagged – of in 2012, Calabar-Itu-Ikot Ekpene, of 2010, Benin-Sapele-Warri road, which was flagged – off in 2009, Enugu – Onitsha road, of 2013, Kano-Katsina dualization project, that was started in 2013, as contractor left in 2022, among many other abandoned federal roads.

Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano federal road is another case of study, in this context. The project has been in limbo for many years, with touch-and-go strategy.

So to me, castigating or rather blaming DSP for this singular Kano-Gwarzo-Dayi road is either premature or not necessary at all. In his own case, the work has resumed. And look at what he pushed to be reflected in 2026 national budget. Which has already become, 2026 Appropriation Act.

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Another constituency project for DSP Jibrin, is E-learning Centres across 5 local governments from his Kano North Senatorial District, in collaboration with National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), was facilitated by the Senator in 2015.

The Centres are across 5 local governments, Tofa, Gwarzo, Kabo, Bichi and Dambatta.

Some people erroneously blame the Senator, advancing that, the E-learning Centres were abandoned by him, since 2015, which, according to them, shows his “negligence” over his constituency. As a matter of fact, the truth of the matter is this, all the 5 E-learning Centres were converted to become Study Centres for National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN). Amongst other locations from the remaining local governments that constitute Kano North Senatorial District.

Another great project that some are blaming His Excellency DSP is Barau Initiative for Agricultural Revolution in the North West (BIARN). Many things were said about it by opponents. But the truth of the matter is this, that the project is yet to take-off fully due to the issue of cash flow from the end of the partner agency. Which is Bank of Agriculture (BOA).

Coincidentally I came across a press statement issued by the
Special Adviser to the Deputy President of the Senate on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, narrating that, the Chairman of the Initiative, Prof. Bashir Fagge Muhammad, disclosed that, “Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the BOA management, applicants were invited to participate in the initiative. However, implementation was stalled due to challenges relating to cash flow.”

As the programme was unveiled March, 2025, it aims to revolutionise agriculture and encourage young Nigerian graduates to venture into farming.

Part of the statement reads, “Specifically, the programme was designed to empower 558 young farmers with loans ranging from N1 million to N5 million for rice and maize cultivation across the seven North West states in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on food security and youth empowerment.”

Adding that, “Applicants are therefore urged to remain patient, as the Board of the Initiative, under the chairmanship of Professor Bashir Fagge Muhammad, is working closely with the BOA management to resolve the issue.”

So we can now understand that the programme is not, and can never be, abandoned, as some started speculating while peddling rumors around.

It is not the intention of this piece to start cataloging DSP’s long standing achievements as the Senator representing Kano North, in many areas of human endeavor.

From his Scholarship scheme where hundreds of students were sponsored for their undergraduate studies, across Nigerian universities and dozens, who were sponsored for Postgraduate studies abroad, as some completed their studies and started coming back. As thousands students from his constituency are given scholarship for their upkeep. Not to talk of his intervention in all other areas of education.

I’m not cataloging his intervention in the security sector. As he is the single individual from across North West whose intervention in the sector supersedes that of many. A Senator like no other.

His effort in sports development is unmatched. Apart from aiding football clubs and players, his completion of stadium in each of the 13 local governments under his constituency, is something to write home about.

All his interventions in such areas will come our way shortly.

Anwar writes from Kano
Wednesday, 29th April, 2026

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