By Abdulmalik Suleiman

For decades, development in Kano State was concentrated in the metropolis, leaving many rural communities behind with dilapidated roads, inadequate healthcare, and limited access to water and education.

That narrative is now changing under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf following his defection to the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Since joining APC, Governor Yusuf has aligned his administration with the party’s Renewed Hope Agenda, prioritizing infrastructure, healthcare, education, water supply, and agriculture as the key pillars of his rural transformation agenda across the state’s 44 local government areas.

In the area of infrastructure, the administration has embarked on the construction and rehabilitation of feeder roads linking farming communities to major markets. Roads in Rogo, Bunkure, Gaya, Ajingi, Takai, Kunchi, Shanono and Doguwa are being upgraded to ease the movement of agricultural produce and reduce post harvest losses. For a state where agriculture remains the mainstay of the economy, the impact is already being felt at the farm gate.

The health and education sectors have also received significant attention. The government has built and renovated primary healthcare centers to bring quality care closer to rural dwellers. In addition, new classroom blocks are being constructed and equipped in rural schools to reduce overcrowding and improve learning outcomes.

Access to clean water has equally been a major focus. Borehole projects and rural water supply schemes are being executed across rural wards to address years of water scarcity. The intervention is expected to reduce water-borne diseases and ease the burden on women and children who previously walked long distances to fetch water.

Beyond infrastructure, Governor Yusuf’s administration is supporting rural households through the distribution of agricultural inputs, small scale irrigation support, and empowerment programs targeted at youths and women. Officials say the aim is to boost productivity, create jobs, and make farming more profitable for rural families.

Speaking on the initiative, Governor Yusuf noted that over 70 percent of Kano’s population resides in rural areas, making their development central to the overall growth of the state.

“We can no longer talk about a prosperous Kano without talking about prosperous villages. That is why we are taking government and development directly to the people,” the Governor said.

Political observers note that the Governor’s defection to APC, combined with his grassroots projects, has strengthened the party’s hold in Kano.

In conclusion, the visible impact of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf’s rural transformation agenda has positioned him strongly ahead of 2027. For APC in Kano, his reelection is a done deal. Therefore, it will be suicidal to change a winning captain.

Kano’s first agenda is on the rising under Gov. Yusuf.

By George Mgbeleke

Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that his sterling performance in the delivery of legacy projects will give the All Progressives Congress (APC) an advantage in the forthcoming General Elections, as candidates of the ruling party will be leaning on his track records when they go out on electioneering campaigns.

Governor Fubara stated this on Wednesday during the commissioning of the 14.5 kilometre Agba- Ndele Road and a 200meter-long bridge, a strategic link between communities in Emohua and Abua/Odual Local Government Areas of Rivers State.

He stated that the projects, like several others commissioned last week, will serve as a strong campaign tool for the APC as it will make it easier for the party’s candidate to connect with voters at the grassroots.

“I believe that what we have done here today will make it easy for our candidate that will be representing us in the forthcoming elections. When he comes here to campaign, more especially in Emohua, he will tell them: my party did this and my party did that. So it will be easy for us to win election here,” he said.

The Governor described the road and bridge as part of his administration’s determination to take development to the grassroots and ensure that governance translates into visible benefits for the people. According to him, government intervention on the road became necessary after noticing the deplorable state of the old Abua Road and the long hours commuters were losing on the route.
“Like I’ll always say, I’m not interested in just doing anything, I’m interested in doing something that can add value and change the life of our people.
I can beat my chest this afternoon to say, the value of this project cannot be overrated. It is something that had come at the right time, when our people from Abua, our people from this other side of Ahaoda are having difficulties on the old Abua road. So with this project, I think that part of the problems they are having there will be solved,” he said.

The Governor disclosed that the bridge was not initiated by his administration, nor by his immediate predecessor, but by an earlier government. He however noted that he was motivated to intervene because of his belief that governance is a relay race in which each administration should endeavour to continue from where their predecessor stopped.
He said his administration decided to complete the project because of its importance to the people of Agba-Ndele and surrounding communities.
“When you see something that will benefit the people, it doesn’t matter who started it. What is important is you complete it and put it to use. So, I want to thank everyone who has supported us in this project, most especially the people of Ndele who gave their total commitment to the contractor. Without you giving that support, this project wouldn’t have been completed and we won’t be here today,” he said.
Governor Fubara also charged the Chairman of Emohua Local Government Area, Hon Chidi Lloyd and the Chairman of Abua/Odual Council, Hon Owolobi Michael Ofori to take direct responsibility for the protection of projects sited in their domains.
The Governor also called on the people of Agba-Ndele and adjoining communities to see the road and bridge as their own assets. He urged residents, youth groups, and traditional rulers to take ownership of the facility and ensure it serves the purpose for which it was built. According to him, government can build, but the people must protect.
Fubara warned strongly against vandalism and the destruction of public infrastructure, noting that such acts set communities back and amount to a waste of public resources.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Works, Prof. Temple Nwofor, who gave details of the project, said the road measures 14.5 kilometres, with a 10.3-metre binder-course width, a 7.3-metre wearing-course width and three-metre shoulders, while the drainage section measures 0.6 metres by 0.6 metres. The bridge, Nwofor said, comprises a 239.4-metre structure with a 10.3-metre width, including 1.5-metre walkways on both sides, as well as a 1.2-kilometre access road.

By Our Correspondent

Ahead of 2027 election,Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said Nigeria possesses the human and natural resources needed to attain sustainable development, stressing that the country’s major challenge is the absence of competent, honest and purposeful leadership.

Obi stated this while participating as a guest and panellist alongside other presidential candidates and their representatives at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), held at the Yakubu Gowon Stadium, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The session, which focused on rebuilding Nigeria and making the country work for its citizens, provided an opportunity for the participants to canvass ideas on how to address the nation’s economic and developmental challenges.

Obi attributed the widespread poverty and hunger in the country largely to years of mismanagement, corruption and poor utilisation of public resources.

He argued that Nigeria, endowed with vast human and natural resources, should not be struggling with extreme poverty, food insecurity and unemployment.

“With our vast human and natural resources, Nigeria has no business being associated with extreme poverty and hunger,” Obi said, stressing that the country had no justification for importing food despite its enormous agricultural potential.

The former Anambra State governor identified agriculture as one of the sectors capable of transforming the Nigerian economy, creating millions of jobs and generating substantial foreign exchange if backed by appropriate policies, investment and political will.

He particularly pointed to the vast agricultural potential of Northern Nigeria, noting that the region’s expansive arable land could serve as a major driver of food production and economic transformation.

According to him, Nigeria could emulate countries with fewer natural resources that have successfully developed their agricultural sectors.

“If countries with fewer resources have transformed their agricultural sectors, Nigeria can feed itself, create millions of jobs, and export food to the world,” he said.

On fuel subsidy removal, Obi maintained the position he canvassed during the 2023 presidential election, arguing that the subsidy regime had been undermined by widespread corruption.

He said his preferred approach would have been to first eliminate the corruption associated with the system, establish the actual cost of the subsidy and thereafter implement a carefully planned and phased removal.

Obi further argued that savings accruing from subsidy removal should be transparently channelled into clearly defined and measurable development priorities, including agriculture, healthcare, education, poverty reduction and national security.

He stressed that the removal of subsidy should ultimately improve the welfare of Nigerians, rather than expose citizens to higher energy and transportation costs without corresponding improvements in their living conditions.

The presidential candidate said Nigeria’s development priorities should include food security, quality healthcare, education, infrastructure, human capital development, security and national unity.

He maintained that with the right leadership and prudent management of resources, Nigeria could overcome its present challenges and unlock its enormous economic potential.

“​​Nigeria has all it needs to prosper. What remains is competent, honest, and purposeful leadership that puts the common good above personal interests,” Obi said.