Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf said on Wednesday his administration had made “significant progress” in key sectors including education, healthcare and agriculture over the last two and a half years, despite Nigeria’s economic challenges.
Speaking during the 65th Independence Day celebrations at the Sani Abacha Stadium, Yusuf reaffirmed his commitment to people-focused governance, according to a statement issued by his spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.
“In spite of the prevailing economic challenges, we have recorded remarkable achievements across education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, social welfare, and workers’ wellbeing,” Yusuf said.
On education, the governor said his administration allocated nearly one-third of the 2024 and 2025 budgets to the sector, surpassing the UNESCO benchmark. He added that 6,000 teachers had been recruited and 2,000 volunteers absorbed into permanent service.
“We have reduced tuition fees for all state-owned tertiary institutions by 50 percent and approved the payment of examination fees for thousands of students,” Yusuf said, noting that more than 2,000 students had also benefitted from a revived foreign postgraduate scholarship programme.
In healthcare, Yusuf said Kano had exceeded the Abuja Declaration benchmark in funding. He highlighted the recruitment of 500 health professionals, the creation of the Kano State Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, and the introduction of free caesarean section services for pregnant women.
To boost agriculture, the governor said fertilisers worth 1 billion naira ($650,000) were distributed to 52,800 farmers, while a 16 billion naira irrigation project was launched at Jakara Dam. He said the state’s agro-pastoral project had reached 477,000 farmers, surpassing targets.
The governor also pointed to infrastructure investments, including the rehabilitation of 17 major roads in Kano metropolis and the allocation of 27 billion naira for interchange projects. He said water supply had improved with the restoration of operations at the Tamburawa Water Plant.
In empowerment schemes, Yusuf said 7,158 goats had been distributed to 2,386 women across 44 local councils, while 1,130 graduates received start-up kits. Thousands of small-scale entrepreneurs were each given 50,000 naira to boost their businesses.
On workers’ welfare, Yusuf said his government had begun clearing a 48 billion naira backlog of unpaid pensions and gratuities, disbursing 27 billion naira so far. “We remain committed to the prompt and regular payment of salaries and pensions,” he said.
Yusuf concluded with a pledge to consolidate gains made by his administration. “Our focus is on good governance and sustainable development. We are determined to work towards a brighter future for our people,” he said.