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Two years after assuming office, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has continued to reshape the state’s development trajectory through policies anchored on infrastructure renewal, education reform, healthcare delivery, and economic empowerment, writes Adedayo Olalekan.
Olalekan, a public affairs analyst cum journalist noted that Governor Yusuf, who took over in May 2023, inherited a state challenged by infrastructural decay, unemployment, and declining social services. He said the administration immediately embarked on far-reaching reforms aimed at restoring public confidence and improving citizens’ welfare.
He observed that one of the administration’s earliest interventions was in the area of infrastructure and urban renewal. He explained that over 100 kilometers of township roads had been reconstructed or rehabilitated across Kano metropolis, including key routes such as BUK Road, Zaria Road, and the Tarauni–Hotoro–Kwanar Dawaki axis. Similar projects, he said, were ongoing across local government areas to ease transportation and boost commerce.
He added that the governor revived several abandoned projects — including housing estates, bridges, and water supply schemes — while ensuring transparency and prudent financial management. These efforts, according to him, have earned commendations from civil society and professional bodies within and outside the state.
According to Olalekan, Governor Yusuf’s conviction that “education is the greatest investment in the future of our children” has been demonstrated through massive reforms in the education sector.
He pointed out that the administration reopened hundreds of previously closed schools, rehabilitated classrooms, and supplied modern learning materials.
He further said more than 5,000 teachers were recruited to address manpower shortages, while the free and compulsory basic education policy had been strengthened. The government, he noted, also refurbished boarding schools and established vocational centers to equip young people with employable skills.
Highlighting improvements in higher education funding, particularly in institutions such as NorthWest University, Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, and Kano State Polytechnic, he added that innovation and digital literacy are being promoted.
On healthcare development
sector, Olalekan stated that the Yusuf administration has carried out extensive rehabilitation and re-equipping of general hospitals in Wudil, Bichi, Gaya, and other parts of the state. He said over 200 primary healthcare centers across the 44 local government areas have been upgraded to provide better access to medical services.
He explained that the governor’s maternal and child health programme, Lafiya Dole, had helped reduce maternal and infant mortality rates. He also mentioned the extension of free healthcare to pregnant women, children under five, and the elderly, which he described as a reflection of the government’s compassion for the vulnerable.
To curb brain drain among medical professionals, he added, the state introduced improved welfare packages, regular salary payments, and enhanced training opportunities for healthcare workers.
He further emphasized that the administration’s empowerment policies have largely targeted youths and women. Through the Kano Economic Empowerment Program (KEEP), he said thousands of small and medium-scale businesses received startup grants, soft loans, and equipment.
In agriculture, he noted that farmers benefited from improved seedlings, fertilizers, and mechanized tools, which have boosted food production and curbed rural-urban migration. He added that the establishment of the Kano Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Centre has trained over 20,000 youths in trades such as tailoring, ICT, and auto-mechanics.
Olalekan also observed that the governor’s focus on transparency and accountability had strengthened citizens’ trust in government. The introduction of digital payment systems, he said, reduced leakages and improved revenue generation.
On security, he pointed out that enhanced collaboration between community vigilantes and formal security agencies has helped reduce banditry, theft, and other criminal activities in border areas.
As Kano marks the second anniversary of Governor Yusuf’s tenure, Olalekan said the administration’s impact can be felt in schools, hospitals, and across major road networks. “For millions of Kano residents, these achievements are not just statistics but stories of transformation of a government that listens, serves, and delivers,” he wrote.
He added that as the governor steps into the third year of his tenure, he continues to emphasize unity, accountability, and sustainable progress, with a vision to make Kano not only the commercial heart of Northern Nigeria but also a beacon of good governance across the nation.
