By Dapo Akinrefon

When he took over the reins of leadership in Kano State on May 29, 2023, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf had his vision for the state. Interestingly, after being sworn in, he boldly set out to, among other things, provide good governance and restore Kano’s historical role as an economic powerhouse in the north.

Known to have a quiet disposition, the governor reeled out his policies upon taking up the mantle of leadership and has quietly pursued those policies which are dear to his heart. One of his major policies included pushing Kano towards re industrialization.

So far, he has established a business friendly environment that fosters investment and economic growth. Aside from being a quiet politician, Governor Yusuf is known to be a forward thinking leader. Perhaps this earned him recognition by the Michael Imoudu National Institute for Labour Studies as Nigeria’s “most labor friendly leader.”

The recognition also underscores his dedication to creating employment opportunities. By attracting investments that drive job creation, he seeks to engage many skilled men and women in productive ventures that boost Kano’s economy.

Governor Yusuf has remained focused on the education sector. For instance, on June 8, 2024, he declared a State of Emergency in education by employing 5,000 teachers in the state civil service to revitalise the sector. He explained that the initiative is aimed at providing the required manpower for public schools in the state to provide quality education just as he emphasised the need for quality personnel to manage public schools in the state.

He used the opportunity to highlight the crisis facing the state’s education sector, painting a stark picture of a system in dire need of reform. “Over 4.7 million pupils are forced to sit on bare floors to learn while 400 schools have only one teacher for all classes and subjects,” he said.

He further promised to tackle the multi faceted problems facing public education in the state head-on. These, he said, include the shortage of qualified teachers, inadequate training programmes and socio-economic challenges students face.

To show commitment, the governor unveiled 73,800 (three-seater) school furniture, distributed across public schools in the state. This move is seen as a step towards drawing the curtain on empty classrooms in government schools. Also, in the 2025 proposed budget, the governor allocated 31 per cent to education.

In his quest towards re-industrialization, the governor has taken steps at revitalising the sector which he believes will contribute significantly to the state’s economy. Kano is known to have a rich heritage in agro-allied industries and non-metallic minerals, with sectors like textiles, oil mills, tanneries, leatherworks, and ceramics once flourishing.

The Yusuf-led administration has further shown dedication to revitalizing Kano’s economy and providing a brighter future for its residents. This he has done by laying the groundwork for the industry’s revival. Governor Yusuf says steps have been taken to commission two to five revitalized industries. They include the ceramics factory in Challawa, a textile mill and oil mill in Bompai, and a battery production facility in Sharada.

The impact on Kano’s economy and the job market, the governor opines, would be significant, bringing renewed life to one of the country’s historically industrialized regions. The deplorable state of roads drew the attention of Governor Yusuf in the industrial areas.

To address this, the governor, on July 19, 2024, approved N29bn for the commencement and completion of capital projects that will improve social and physical development in the state. In his effort to empower youths to be self reliant, the governor disbursed the sum of N23,250,000 to street hawkers in the state. Governor Yusuf said this is in fulfilment of his administration’s promises to continue to accord priority to vulnerable groups, especially youth and women by improving their various trades and skills through occasional intervention for continued life sustenance.

He disclosed that street hawkers trading along nine junctions out of the 38 across the state were captured in this phase of empowerment. He described the youths as patriots who, through thick and thin, faced the challenges of poverty and deprivation by treading the path of honour, dignity and respect. Despite the distraction thrown at him by the opposition, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf is determined to uplift Kano State and take it to the next level.