Gov. Yusuf Mourns Hon. Wada Daho, Describes His Passing as a Loss to Kano

Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has expressed deep sorrow over the passing of Hon. Wada Daho, a former member of the Kano State House of Assembly and former Vice Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Kano South.

According to the Director General Media and Publicity Government House Kano, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the Governor described the death as a painful loss to Kano State, particularly the political and public service communities, where the deceased made significant contributions.

Governor Yusuf noted that Hon. Wada Daho served the state in different capacities, including as a legislator and party official, before his recent appointment as Permanent Board Member II of the Kano State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB).

He said the deceased would be remembered for his contributions to public service, political development and the advancement of education in the state.

The Governor extended his heartfelt condolences to the immediate family, political associates, friends and the people of his constituency, urging them to take solace in the good memories and services he left behind.

Governor Yusuf prayed Almighty Allah to forgive his shortcomings, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus and give his family and loved ones the strength to bear the irreparable loss.

Gov. Yusuf Mourns Passing of Kano Business Tycoon Isma’ila Maibiskit

Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of renowned Kano businessman and industrialist, Alhaji Isma’il Mukhtar Maibiskit, who passed away on Friday.

According to the statement by the Director General Media and Publicity Government House Kano, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the Governor described the death as a painful loss to Kano State, particularly the business community, considering the contributions of the deceased to the growth of commerce and private enterprise in the state.

Governor Yusuf noted that the late Maibiskit was among the prominent business figures whose efforts contributed to the development of Kano’s commercial activities and the state’s reputation as a major centre of trade and industry.

The Governor extended his heartfelt condolences to the immediate family of the deceased, especially his granddaughter, Engr. Yasmin Mukhtar, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Women Education, as well as other relatives, friends, business associates and the people of Kano State.

He urged the bereaved family to take solace in the good memories and legacy of the deceased, while praying to Almighty Allah to forgive his shortcomings, grant him Aljannatul Firdaus and give his family the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

Governor Yusuf further prayed that Allah would reward the deceased for his good deeds and grant comfort to all those affected by his passing.

Arewa for Asiwaju: Kano Inaugurates 528 Tinubu Ambassadors

……As Gov. Yusuf Urges Kano Youths to Sustain Momentum on Tinubu’s Re-election Bid

Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has urged youths in the state to sustain grassroots mobilisation under the Arewa for Asiwaju (A4A) movement in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

According to the statement by the Director General Media and Publicity Government House Kano, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the call followed the inauguration of 528 Tinubu ambassadors on Wednesday at Sani Abacha Stadium, Kano, as part of efforts to strengthen the movement’s grassroots structures and expand its door-to-door campaign across the state.

The ambassadors are expected to engage residents in their communities, mobilise youths and women, and raise awareness about the movement’s objectives ahead of the forthcoming elections.

Governor Yusuf urged them to remain committed to their responsibilities, maintain regular contact with the grassroots, and promote peaceful political participation. He also stressed the importance of protecting voters’ choices through lawful means during the electoral process.

The Governor reaffirmed his assurance of support for President Tinubu’s re-election bid, urging the ambassadors to sustain their mobilisation efforts and strengthen engagement with communities across Kano State.

Following the inauguration, the National Director-General of A4A, Alhaji Badaru Abubakar, led a delegation to the Government House, Kano, where Governor Yusuf received them during a courtesy visit. 

During the visit, the Kano State Coordinator of A4A, Abdullahi Tijjani Muhammad Gwarzo, briefed the Governor on the movement’s mobilisation plans and strategies for expanding its presence across the state.

Gwarzo assured the Governor that the Kano chapter would work to strengthen its grassroots structures, coordinate activities across local government areas, and sustain engagement with supporters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The inauguration of the 528 ambassadors marks another organisational activity by A4A aimed at building community-level networks and coordinating its mobilisation efforts in Kano State.

Tinubu Commissions Section III of Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano Expressway, Boosts Road Safety and Trade

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commissioned Section III of the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano Expressway, covering the Zaria–Kano corridor, through Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, who represented him at the ceremony.

In a statement signed by Director General Media and Publicity Government House Kano, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the expressway is a major transport route linking Kano with Kaduna and other parts of the country, serving thousands of commuters, traders, commercial drivers and transport operators daily.

The completion of the Zaria–Kano section is expected to improve road safety by providing better driving conditions, reducing hazards associated with damaged road surfaces and helping to prevent avoidable accidents and loss of lives.

The project is particularly important given the high volume of passenger and commercial traffic along the corridor, which plays a significant role in the movement of people and goods across Northern Nigeria.

Beyond road safety, the improved highway is expected to boost economic activities by facilitating the transportation of agricultural produce, manufactured goods and other commodities between Kano, Kaduna and neighbouring states.

As a major commercial hub, Kano stands to benefit from improved access to markets, reduced travel delays and lower vehicle operating costs, creating better opportunities for traders, farmers and businesses.

The commissioning also underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to developing critical infrastructure that strengthens national connectivity, supports commerce and promotes economic growth.

The Kano State Government urges motorists to observe speed limits, avoid dangerous overtaking and comply with traffic regulations to ensure that the improved road delivers lasting benefits to road users.

Go Again, Abba: Kano Has Seen Enough to Say So - By Musaddiq Kabir Adam

By Musaddiq Kabir Adam

There is a particular kind of writing that speaks to two people at once. It looks a leader in the eye and tells him what his work has meant, while turning to the crowd behind him to remind them of what has been done in their name. That is the only honest way to write about Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, because his story belongs equally to him and to the people of Kano. Your Excellency, listen. People of Kano, listen too.

A man whose support was earned, not handed over

Kano has known Abba Kabir Yusuf longer than the chants have existed. In 2014, while serving as Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, he won the APC primary for the Kano Central Senate seat and then gave the ticket to his principal, Rabiu Kwankwaso. Nobody forced that decision. In 2019, running for governor on the PDP platform, he led the first count with 1,014,474 votes to Ganduje’s 987,819, before a disputed rerun in 28 local government areas turned the outcome by a margin of just 8,982 votes. He carried that without letting it harden into bitterness, and four years later he returned to poll 1,019,602 votes, more than Kwankwaso himself received in Kano as the presidential candidate of the same party.

People of Kano, this is worth remembering when anyone suggests the affection for this governor was manufactured. When the Supreme Court restored his mandate in January 2024, you did not wait for a summons. Thousands of you left your homes before sunrise and walked kilometres beside his convoy, chanting his name until the road itself seemed to answer. That was you, not a campaign budget. Your Excellency, hold on to that memory on the hard days, because it is the truest measure of what you have earned.

What the classroom and the household now look like

From the first months in office, this administration chose to spend its political capital where families feel it most. Between 29.95 and 31 percent of the state budget has gone to education in each of the last three years, above the 26 percent benchmark UNESCO recommends, and the result is not abstract. It is 80,000 new desks for 240,000 pupils who used to sit on bare floors, free uniforms for more than 800,000 Primary 1 children, thousands of rehabilitated schools, reopened girls’ boarding schools, thousands of new teachers and a cleared promotions backlog that had stood since 2017. Kano then finished first in Nigeria in the 2025 NECO results. Your Excellency, that is not a lucky statistic. It is the return on a decision to fund what you said mattered.

Parents, ask what your child’s classroom looked like three years ago. Retirees and the families of workers who died in service, remember the roughly ₦32 billion in gratuities and death benefits that sat unpaid until this government settled them. And women of all 44 local government areas, remember the ₦50,000 that reaches thousands of you every month, 5,800 of you in the round launched this September. These are not slogans printed on a billboard. They are deposits into real households.

The boring numbers that build the exciting projects

A state cannot spend what it does not earn, and this is the part of the record that rarely makes headlines. Internally generated revenue has grown from roughly ₦40 billion in 2023 to about ₦102 billion by 2025. The Kano Geographic Information System Agency, which once raised barely ₦50 million a month, now raises about ₦750 million. The 2025 budget was implemented at 96.9 percent, which means that what Kano’s government promises on paper is overwhelmingly what reaches the ground. Your Excellency, protect that discipline, because it is the engine under every flyover and every scholarship.

Farmers, you can now buy fertiliser at half the open market price, with anti-corruption agencies watching the distribution so that it reaches you and not a middleman. Traders of the Farm Centre GSM Market, your burnt stalls are being rebuilt in a ₦2 billion redevelopment that adds a fire station, drainage and a pedestrian bridge. Young people, a new digital market is projected to create more than 100,000 jobs. A state that raises more of its own money can keep building when federal allocations fall short, and that is what this reform was for.

Safer streets, healthier families, faster roads

Health, security and mobility are where the state’s promises are tested at the level of the ordinary day. More than a million vulnerable residents are being enrolled in health insurance, and enrolment has already beaten its target by 110,000. The Ramadan feeding programme reached 1.1 million people in the first ten days of the holy month. The Multi Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse recorded more than 200 raids and more than 200 convictions in its first forty five days and rescued 43 children from exploitation. More than 16,000 streetlights now burn across the state, and the Dan’agundi and Tal’udu interchanges, over 80 percent complete, are close to ending the gridlock that residents have endured for decades.

Every one of us knows the fear of a dark road and a snatched phone. Light is not decoration. It is the reason a trader can close later and a student can walk home without sprinting, and every convicted supplier is one fewer danger on a neighbour’s street. Your Excellency, finish those bridges and pay every contractor you owe, so that the projects at eighty percent become projects at a hundred. People of Kano, keep asking to see the work, because it was built to be seen.

Government you are allowed to check

One reform deserves more attention than it gets. By giving the Open Government Partnership a commissioner level co-chair and a dedicated focal office, and by publishing project progress through the state’s Integrated Projects Monitoring System, this administration invited exactly the kind of scrutiny that many governments avoid. Your Excellency, do not flinch from it. Let independent voices audit your completion figures, because a record this strong loses nothing by being checked and gains everything by being trusted.

And to the citizens, an honest word. Not everyone in Kano agrees with this governor. Some of his former allies, including the Kwankwasiyya camp he left, believe his move to the APC in January 2026 was a betrayal, and that view deserves a hearing rather than a shouting match. Your job is neither to cheer nor to sneer. It is to look at what has been built, ask what remains unfinished, and decide with your own eyes.

So Go Again

Your Excellency, you have touched the classroom and the clinic, the farm and the market, the road and the streetlight, the retiree’s envelope and the young graduate’s startup grant. Go again, Abba, and go with the humility of a man who understands that applause is a loan repaid in results.

And to you, people of Kano, you have seen enough to form your own judgment. If you believe what you have seen, say so with your vote and say it out loud. This is a state worth finishing what it started.

Musaddiq Kabir Adam rose through the civil service into public service in Kano State.

#AbbaIsWorking

#AbbaGidaGida

Abba Kabir Yusuf

Kano Gov. Yusuf Congratulates Ekiti Counterpart Oyebanji on Second-Term Inauguration

Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has congratulated his Ekiti State counterpart, Biodun Oyebanji, on his inauguration for a second term in office.

According to the statement by the Director General Media and Publicity Government House Kano, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Governor Yusuf described the occasion as a significant milestone in Oyebanji’s political career and a testament to the confidence reposed in his leadership by the people of Ekiti State.

The Governor expressed optimism that Oyebanji’s second term would provide another opportunity to consolidate his achievements, strengthen democratic governance, and accelerate development across Ekiti State.

He urged the Ekiti State Governor to remain committed to people-oriented policies, inclusive governance, and programmes aimed at improving the living conditions of citizens.

Governor Yusuf, who was represented by his deputy, H.E. Murtala Garo, at the inauguration, also emphasised the importance of cooperation among state governments in promoting national unity, economic growth, and sustainable development.

He wished Governor Oyebanji and his deputy, Monisade Afuye, a successful and productive second term in office.

Gov. Yusuf Launches Career Guidance Programme to Prepare Students for UTME in Kano

Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has launched a statewide career guidance workshop aimed at helping secondary school students make informed career choices and prepare adequately for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

According to the statement by the Director General Media and Publicity Government House Kano, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the Governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), said the initiative would strengthen career counselling in schools and equip counsellors and career masters with the knowledge needed to guide students towards suitable academic programmes and future professions.

He stressed that education goes beyond providing classrooms and teachers, noting that students must also understand their abilities, interests and available career opportunities before choosing courses and tertiary institutions.

Governor Yusuf reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to education, highlighting investments in school infrastructure, teacher recruitment, scholarships, learning materials and other interventions aimed at improving the quality of education across Kano State.

He urged school counsellors and career masters to discharge their responsibilities with professionalism, patience and dedication, while encouraging parents and guardians to guide their children rather than impose career choices on them.

The Governor also emphasised the importance of moral and religious guidance in schools, calling for collective efforts by teachers, parents, community leaders and religious institutions to address drug abuse and other negative behaviours among young people.

On emerging career opportunities, he noted that technological advancements, particularly artificial intelligence, were transforming the world of work, stressing the need to prepare students for future employment opportunities.

He urged students to study diligently, seek professional advice and make informed decisions rather than allow peer pressure and popular opinion to determine their career paths.

Governor Yusuf subsequently declared the statewide career guidance workshop officially open, calling on education stakeholders to ensure that its benefits reach secondary school students across all 44 local government areas of Kano State.

Kano Health Sector Under Abba: From Crisis To Example (2) - By Abba Anwar

If you really want to know whether a government cares about its people, don't go and count the number of garden per school. Go to a Primary Health Centre in Shanono by 1am. Watch what happens when a woman in labour is brought in with no money in her pocket. That is where government is tested.

When Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf took oath on 29th May, 2023, that test was almost nothing to write home about. Because of cumulative experiences of administrations before him. I remember following the transition committee reports. I also went round myself. The Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency at Sharada had empty shelves. I am not exaggerating. Drug availability was about 30 percent. Suppliers had blacklisted Kano because we were owing them over N1.2 billion. Many General Hospitals - Wudil, Bichi, Gaya - looked tired. Paint peeling, beds broken, no running water. The health insurance agency, Kano State Contributory Healthcare Management Agency (KSCHMA), had less than 500,000 people enrolled in a state of over 15 million. Doctors were leaving. Nurses were leaving. People used to say, "asibiti ba magani."

What happened in the last three years is not magic. It is work. Quiet, amazing work. This is where Abba Gida-Gida's feeling for his people takes the lead. In responsive and responsible leadership. 

First, the money.

You see, in 2001, African Heads of State gathered in Abuja and said, let us give at least 15% of our budgets to health. Since then, Nigeria as a country has never met it. Kano before this administration was doing 6%, 7%. Even Lagos today does about 8%. Ghana as a country does 6.32%. Senegal less than 4%.

But Abba did it. In 2024, he gave health N77 billion, that was 16.46% of the entire state budget. In 2025, he gave N90.6 billion, 16.5%. Two years, back to back, above Abuja Declaration. No Kano governor has ever done it. Now the 2026 budget proposal has taken it to N214.8 billion for health repositioning, including N500m for a Cancer Centre at Giginyu, N1.5bn for free hernia surgeries across all zones, and N473.5m for ICUs in Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital and Wase Teaching Hospital.

And the money was not just on paper. He paid the N1.2bn debt. Once he paid, suppliers returned. Today, drug availability in Kano public hospitals is over 90%. Go to Hasiya Bayero Paediatric Hospital today, you will see drugs. Go to Murtala Muhammad, you will see drugs. That singular move has reduced the habit of patients being given prescription to go and buy drugs outside.

Second, the hospitals themselves.

The government did not try to build new ones everywhere. He said, let us fix the ones we have. Over 20 General Hospitals were fully rehabilitated - Hasiya Bayero, Murtala Muhammad, Wase, Wudil, Dambatta, Gaya, Bichi and others. New theatres, new wards, new labs.

For the grassroots, more than 200 PHCs across the 44 LGAs were upgraded. Solar light, borehole, staff quarters, delivery beds. Then he did something I personally like. He gave one ambulance to each of the 44 LGAs, and 484 mini-ambulances, one for each ward. So if there is an emergency in any ward in Kano today, you can move a patient. Before, people died on the way because there was nothing to carry them.

He also created what we never had before - the Kano Centre for Disease Control, KNCDC. And on 3rd August, 2026, he commissioned the Sickle Cell Centre that now offers free diagnosis, free hydroxyurea, free blood transfusion and counselling for thousands of families.

Third, and most important, the people to work in these hospitals.

You can buy equipment, but if there is no doctor or midwife, it is useless. The biggest challenge was human resource. Many left because of poor pay. The governor first restored dignity. He reinstated 926 health workers on full CONHESS salary structure, reviewed hazard allowance, and deployed 65 residency doctors to secondary hospitals. That is why NMA gave him their National Award for Service Excellence. They don't give that award for nothing.

Then he recruited. Massively. And in phases, not audio.

Phase 1, which we just witnessed, was the distribution of appointment letters to 2,367 health personnel. Officially, core clinical is 2,037, but total with other cadres is 2,367. Let me break it down as announced at Government House: 250 medical doctors, 40 pharmacists, 250 nurses, 250 midwives, 150 Senior Community Health Extension Workers, 50 Junior CHEWs and 50 epidemiologists, plus hundreds of other cadres. All permanent and pensionable. The Commissioner for Health, Dr Abubakar Labaran Yusuf, was clear that it was on merit, not for sale.

In a separate special effort, which many people mix up, the government also employed 250 Doctors, 150 Nurses, 75 Midwives and 50 Pharmacists to immediately close gaps in our secondary hospitals. This separate effort has already improved the doctor-patient ratio, especially in places like Dambatta and Gwarzo.

What is coming next is bigger. Phase 2 is being prepared where 1,600 additional health workers will be employed for state hospitals. And in a very creative way, Local Governments will be allowed to employ 3,900 health workers for PHCs. This is key. It means LGAs will employ their own sons and daughters to stay in their communities. By the time that is done, no ward in Kano will say we have a PHC without staff. That is how you solve retention.

Fourth, insurance for the poorest. This is where the governor's philosophy shows.

Before he came, KSCHMA had 497,262 people enrolled. Mostly civil servants. As of February this year, it is 910,862. That is 413,600 additional people, an 83% increase in less than two years. And within that, 231,293 are vulnerable - children under five, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, people living with HIV, and retirees.

The flagship is ABBACare. You remember ObamaCare. This is AbbaCare. Over 300,000 vulnerable people - pregnant women, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, inmates and people living with sickle cell - were given completely free health insurance, paid by the state. Today, 39,000 people living with sickle cell are receiving free care at Murtala Muhammad, Hasiya Bayero and Wase under this.

For mothers, delivery and CS are free in over 30 hospitals. Government spends over N60m monthly on that. That is why maternal mortality, according to ministry records, dropped from over 1,300 in 2023 to about 300 in 2026. Free eye camps, free cataract surgery, free hernia surgery for thousands have become routine.

Now, when you compare Kano with many other states, you understand why people are talking.

Look around. A national report on PHC delivery by ONE Campaign ranked Zamfara as the worst performing state in PHC, followed by Sokoto, Taraba, Kebbi, Katsina, Borno, Yobe and others as weak performers. In some of those places, capital performance for PHC was as low as 0 to 6.5%. There are documented cases of multimillion naira hospitals lying abandoned while people travel kilometres for paracetamol.

While some states are still struggling to put cotton wool and gloves in their clinics, Kano has moved to Cancer Centre, ICUs, Disease Control Centre, Sickle Cell Centre, 90% drug availability, and close to one million people on insurance.

That is not by accident. It is because of 16.5% budget to health.

I was in Wudil last week. A nurse named Aisha came forward and said in Hausa, "Abba ya kawo mana rayuwa, a harkar lafiya." She was one of those reinstated on CONHESS. Before, she wanted to leave for Federal. Now she wants to stay.

In Takai, a PHC that used to close by 2pm now runs 24 hours because there is staff and solar. This is what governance looks like.

Governor Yusuf did not bring a new textbook theory. He just did the basics that others refused to do: give health money, clear its debt, bring back its workers, and pay for the poorest to get care.

With 1,600 coming in Phase 2 and 3,900 PHC workers to be employed by LGAs, Kano is walking practically towards universal health coverage, not on PowerPoint, but on ground.

If you want to show a state that is doing well in health today in Nigeria, you will show Kano. Not because everything is perfect. But because it is moving, and it is moving in the right direction for the talakawa.

And history will record it.

Anwar writes from Kano

Saturday, 10th October, 2026

Over 380 Arrested, 230 Convicted in Kano Drug Crackdown — Gov. Yusuf

Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, says more than 380 suspects have been arrested while over 230 convictions have been secured in the first two months of the state’s intensified campaign against drug abuse and illicit trafficking.

According to the statement by the Director General Media and Publicity Government House Kano, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, Governor Yusuf disclosed this on Thursday while delivering his address at the 66th Independence Anniversary celebration held at the Sani Abacha Indoor Stadium, Kano.

He said the state government established the Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking in July 2026 and issued an Executive Order to strengthen the fight against illicit substances, thuggery and related criminal activities.

According to him, the Task Force has also dismantled drug joints and criminal hideouts across the state since its establishment.

Governor Yusuf described the fight against drug abuse and criminality as a shared responsibility involving government, security agencies, traditional institutions, religious leaders, communities, parents and citizens.

He appealed to young people to reject drugs, violence and criminality, urging them to embrace education, agriculture, technology, enterprise, vocational training and the creative industries.

The Governor said his administration would continue to support security agencies, strengthen community-based intelligence and address the social challenges contributing to crime and insecurity.

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to creating a safer environment where young people can pursue lawful enterprise and contribute meaningfully to the development of Kano State.

Kano Business Community Endorses Gov. Yusuf for Second Term

The leadership of the Kano business community, comprising representatives of 25 major markets across the state, has endorsed Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for a second term in office.

According to the statement by the Director General Media and Publicity Government House Kano, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the endorsement was made on Monday, 28th September 2026, during a dinner held at the Africa House, Government House, Kano.

The business community, led by elder statesman and business mogul, Alhaji Sabiu Bako, pledged its support for Governor Yusuf’s re-election bid under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The endorsement was facilitated by Alhaji Munzali Mazaf, who brought together representatives of the various markets across the state.

Members of the business community gave the Governor a special standing ovation and declared their total support for his re-election in the 2027 governorship election.

The business leaders expressed confidence in the Governor’s policies and programmes, particularly those aimed at strengthening economic activities and creating a conducive environment for businesses to thrive.

They cited reference to the modernization of some markets through access roads and solarization in some of the markets. The urban renewal projects, ease of doing business and tax reforms were some of the reasons for the endorsement.

They assured the Governor of their continued cooperation and support towards the development of Kano State.

Kano Tops Nigerian States in 2026 NECO Examination....

....As Governor Yusuf Commends Students, Reaffirms Sustained Investment in Education 

Kano State has emerged as the leading state among the 36 su nationals of the federation in the 2026 Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) conducted by the National Examinations Council (NECO).

According to the statement by the Director General Media and Publicity Government House Kano, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the state recorded 74,413 candidates who obtained at least five credits, including English Language and Mathematics, placing Kano ahead of other states, Lagos as second with 72,496 candidates and Oyo came third with 55,543 candidates. 

The performance marks the second consecutive year that Kano has topped the NECO national performance chart, after recording the highest number of candidates with five credits, including English and Mathematics in the 2025 examination.

Reacting to the development, Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, commended the students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders for the outstanding performance.

Governor Yusuf said the back-to-back performance was an indication that the state’s sustained investment in education was producing measurable results. 

Kano has maintained the first position in NECO twice in a row making the state as the leading SSCE performer for the two consecutive years, (2025 and 2026) respectively.

He assured the people of Kano that his administration would continue to prioritise education through increased funding, improved learning facilities, teacher recruitment and training, scholarships and support for indigent students.

As part of the interventions, the state government spent over N4.4 billion in 2026 to sponsor candidates for Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, particularly indigent students.

The Governor, said the intervention was designed to remove financial barriers and enable students to participate in the examinations under better conditions.

He said the latest NECO result was a continuation of the improvement recorded by Kano students under the present administration.

Education has consistently received the largest share of Kano State’s budget under Governor Yusuf over shooting the UNESCO benchmark.

In 2024, education accounted for about 29.95 per cent of the state budget. The allocation increased to N168.35 billion, representing 31 per cent, in the 2025 budget.

For 2026, the state allocated N405.35 billion to education, representing about 30 per cent of the N1,478, 829, 666, 130. 71 trillion budget.

The Governor said the investment goes beyond examination sponsorship to include classroom renovation, teacher recruitment, learning materials, uniforms, scholarships and other interventions aimed at improving the quality of education.

The administration’s education policies have also attracted recognition at national and international levels, with Kano fast becoming a leading education reform hub in sub-Saharan Africa. 

In 2024, Governor Yusuf received the Leadership Newspaper Governor of the Year Award for Education, while New Telegraph recognised him for educational development Governor of the year. The Nigeria Union of Teachers also named him its Teachers’ Friendly Governor of the Year for 2024.

In 2025, Blueprint Newspaper recognised Governor Yusuf as Governor of the Year for Education at the paper’s national conference in Abuja. While This Nigeria newspaper awarded him as courageous Governor of the year 2024.

His administration also received education-related recognition at International space in London and Paris 2026, for its commitment to education with international literacy and learning award and the education spending award by the Universal Learning Solution and City University, Paris respectively.

Other national recognitions include the Vanguard Governor of the Year Award for Good Governance in 2024, the BusinessDay Governor of the Year Award in 2025, and African Governor of the year award by the African Leadership Magazine in Casablanca-Morocco.

Governor Yusuf dedicated the latest NECO achievement to the students, teachers, parents and people of Kano State, assuring them that the government would sustain its investment in education.

He said the objective was to build an education system capable of providing Kano’s young people with the knowledge and skills required for higher education, employment, innovation and leadership as Kano has recorded over Five Million School children in the last annual school census.

Muhuyi’s 60 Days: Kano Intensifies the Fight Against Drug Abuse

Sixty days into his leadership of the newly established Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado is leading an expanded campaign that increasingly moves beyond conventional arrests and raids to intelligence gathering, inter-agency coordination, prosecution, rehabilitation, and community engagement.

Since the task force was inaugurated in July, a succession of activities reported by SolaceBase has shown an administration attempting to confront drug abuse not only as a criminal justice problem but also as a public health, youth and social development challenge.

The task force’s activities have included raids on suspected drug hotspots, arrests and prosecution of suspects, cooperation with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the creation of specialised committees, plans to deploy artificial intelligence in tracking drug dealers and pharmaceutical sales, and proposals for rehabilitation centres across Kano’s three senatorial zones.Sports news

The breadth of the approach has also earned Muhuyi recognition from the NDLEA, which named him a War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) Ambassador in August, citing his efforts to promote inter-agency collaboration, public awareness, community mobilisation and coordinated action.Kano local news

The development is significant for Kano, where drug abuse has increasingly been associated with concerns about youth vulnerability, street crime, violence and social instability.

Muhuyi’s appointment came against the background of growing concern over the scale of drug abuse in the state.Government

A SolaceBase opinion published shortly before the task force’s inauguration cited the 2018 National Drug Use Survey, which estimated Kano’s prevalence at 16 per cent, representing about 1.07 million users.

The figures are historical rather than a current prevalence estimate, but they illustrate the scale of the problem that informed the government’s intervention.

After his appointment, Muhuyi quickly outlined a strategy that combined enforcement with intelligence, prevention, and rehabilitation.

One of the earliest indications of that approach came on August 3, when he announced plans to deploy artificial intelligence to track drug dealers and monitor pharmaceutical sales.

The proposed technology-driven system suggested that the task force intended to look beyond street-level enforcement and examine how drugs move through commercial and pharmaceutical channels.

SolaceBase reported the proposal as an initiative, meaning its announcement should be distinguished from evidence that the system had already become operational. The task force also moved to deepen cooperation with agencies already involved in the drug-control effort.

During a familiarisation visit to the NDLEA Kano Strategic Command in August, the agency pledged stronger collaboration with the task force. NDLEA officials stressed that the drug problem required an approach beyond arrests and seizures, including prevention, education and community engagement.Kano local news

That partnership subsequently produced institutional recognition when the NDLEA Zone 5 Command honoured Muhuyi as a WADA Ambassador.

Rather than presenting the recognition as proof that the drug problem had been solved, Muhuyi described it as a greater responsibility and stressed that no single agency or individual could win the war against drug abuse alone.

Another feature of Muhuyi’s first two months has been the attempt to give the task force an institutional structure.

On August 22, he inaugurated nine subcommittees charged with strengthening different aspects of the campaign against drug abuse and trafficking.

The development is important because a drug-control campaign that depends entirely on the activities of one chairman or periodic security operations is unlikely to become sustainable.

The broader structure envisaged by the task force includes intelligence, public sensitisation, community participation, enforcement, rehabilitation and coordination with other institutions.

The proposed Forward Operating Base is another part of that strategy. According to information gathered in September, preparations were underway for a mechanism where information concerning drug abuse, marketing, production and criminal hideouts could be received around the clock, including through call centres.

Again, this remains a planned mechanism rather than an established achievement, but it illustrates the direction in which the task force says it wants to move.

The enforcement side of the campaign has been extensive. The task force has reported more than 200 raids and more than 200 convictions within 45 days, with four mobile courts established to facilitate quicker prosecution.

The operations have also targeted particular hotspots and alleged supply networks.

One of the most prominent cases involves Yahuza Musa, a former chairman of Rogo Local Government Area, who was arrested following an undercover operation over allegations concerning the illegal sale and administration of fentanyl injections to young people.

Muhuyi said the investigation began after the task force arrested a young man whose hand had allegedly deteriorated severely following injections.

The young man allegedly identified Musa as the source of the substance, leading to the undercover operation and subsequent arrest.

Musa was charged under Section 249 of the Kano State Penal Code in connection with allegations involving harmful or intoxicating substances.Kano local news

The task force has demonstrated an interest in pursuing alleged suppliers through investigation and prosecution rather than limiting its operations to street-level users.

Perhaps the most consequential aspect of the new approach is the recognition that arrests alone cannot resolve Kano’s drug problem.Government

The task force has proposed a programme to rehabilitate 10,000 youths affected by drug abuse within one year.

The proposed programme would involve drug testing, detoxification and rehabilitation, followed by vocational training in areas including garment production, shoemaking, bag making, electrical work and solar technology.

The thinking behind the programme is straightforward: people trapped in substance abuse cannot simply be removed from the streets and expected to become productive without treatment, skills and an opportunity to rebuild their lives.

The proposed programme therefore attempts to distinguish between those who profit from drug trafficking and vulnerable people struggling with addiction.

That distinction is crucial. A trafficker deliberately supplying dangerous substances to young people presents a different challenge from a young person who has become dependent on those substances.

The first demands enforcement and prosecution; the second may require medical treatment, counselling, rehabilitation and economic reintegration. The task force’s proposed approach attempts to address both.

The rehabilitation strategy has also begun to take a geographical dimension. On September 4, SolaceBase reported that the task force was considering establishing ad-hoc centres across Kano North, Kano Central and Kano South to bring substance-abuse prevention and rehabilitation services closer to affected communities.Kano local news

The proposal emerged from discussions between the task force and the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Dawanau, and is intended to cover prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and community engagement.

The collaboration is significant because it places a health institution alongside security agencies in the response.

It also suggests that the task force is beginning to treat rehabilitation as a service that should be available within communities rather than something reserved for people already caught in the criminal justice system.

The human consequences of drug abuse have also featured prominently in the task force’s activities.

Among the cases reported during the period was the rescue of vulnerable children exposed to intoxicating substances and the prosecution of people accused of supplying such substances.

These cases underscore why the drug issue cannot be viewed solely through statistics on arrests and seizures.

Every arrest can represent a criminal case, but every affected young person also represents a family, a lost opportunity and potentially a future that could be recovered through timely intervention.

The experience of some families during the operations has also brought another dimension of the campaign into focus.

Some mothers were seen crying and pleading with Muhuyi after their sons were arrested, asking that their children be given another chance.

Their appeals highlight the difficult position of families confronting drug abuse. While parents may want authorities to take action against drug dealers and those who expose young people to harmful substances, they may also fear losing their own children to addiction, imprisonment or a life of crime.

This is why the rehabilitation and skills-acquisition component of the task force’s strategy is particularly important.

A young person who can be treated, rehabilitated, trained and returned to productive life represents not only an individual recovery but also relief for a family and a potential benefit to the wider community.

Muhuyi’s first 60 days have combined enforcement with institutional development in a way that has made the campaign highly visible.

His previous experience as chairman of the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission is part of the background to his appointment.

Before taking charge of the drug task force, he had become associated with investigations and enforcement in the anti-corruption sphere. SolaceBase reported that background when examining his appointment to lead the drug crackdown.

In his new role, that enforcement-oriented experience has been applied to a different problem.

The approach has so far combined raids with intelligence, prosecution with rehabilitation, and security operations with community mobilisation.

The AI proposal points towards technology, while the nine subcommittees point towards institutionalisation. The NDLEA partnership demonstrates a commitment to inter-agency coordination, while the three-zone rehabilitation proposal points towards decentralisation.

The 10,000-youth programme, meanwhile, reflects an emphasis on rehabilitation, skills development and reintegration.

Together, these initiatives suggest that the task force is trying to construct a system rather than simply conduct operations.

Parents must join the fight

For the campaign to achieve lasting results, however, the responsibility cannot rest on Muhuyi and government agencies alone.

Parents have an important role to play, particularly because they are often the first to notice changes in the behaviour of their children.

The scenes of mothers crying and pleading for their sons after arrests should also encourage families to become involved much earlier, before a young person reaches the point of arrest.

Parents should pay attention to sudden behavioural changes, new associations, unexplained spending, school absenteeism and other signs that may indicate that a child is becoming vulnerable to substance abuse.

Rather than waiting for security agencies to intervene, families should seek help from health professionals, counsellors, schools, religious institutions and other appropriate channels when they notice warning signs.

Schools also need to strengthen drug-awareness programmes, while religious and traditional leaders can use their platforms to educate young people and families about the dangers of substance abuse.

Communities, meanwhile, can support the task force by providing credible information about drug trafficking and distribution networks while allowing security agencies to conduct proper investigations.

The government should equally continue providing the resources needed for rehabilitation, treatment, intelligence gathering and public sensitisation.

The proposed rehabilitation centres across the three senatorial zones could be particularly valuable if properly funded and staffed by qualified professionals.

The planned 10,000-youth rehabilitation programme should also be supported with transparent monitoring, vocational equipment and opportunities for beneficiaries to become economically independent after treatment.

The fight against drug abuse should therefore not end with arrest or conviction. It should also create a pathway for vulnerable young people to recover, acquire skills and return to their families and communities as productive citizens.

Muhuyi’s first 60 days have put considerable energy behind Kano’s response to drug abuse.Government

The task force has moved from its inauguration to raids, arrests and prosecution while simultaneously building partnerships, establishing committees, exploring technology and developing plans for rehabilitation.

The NDLEA’s recognition of Muhuyi as a WADA Ambassador has further highlighted the emphasis being placed on collaboration and community mobilisation.

The proposed AI system needs to move from announcement to implementation. The intelligence and call-centre mechanism needs to become functional.

The proposed rehabilitation centres need adequate funding, qualified personnel and medical support. The 10,000-youth programme needs to be properly implemented and monitored.

Most importantly, parents and communities need to remain part of the campaign. Muhuyi’s first 60 days have demonstrated a clear willingness to confront drug abuse through both enforcement and broader social intervention.

The next phase should deepen that approach by strengthening rehabilitation, supporting families, expanding public enlightenment and ensuring that young people who can be helped are given a genuine opportunity to recover.

For Kano, the fight against drug abuse is ultimately a fight for its young people. And if government agencies, parents, communities, health institutions, schools, religious and traditional leaders continue to work together, the momentum generated in Muhuyi’s first 60 days can become the foundation for a sustained response to one of the state’s most pressing social challenges.

(SolaceBase)

OGP: The Kano Model - Institutionalizing Transparency - By Abba Anwar

For many years, OGP was just another fine acronym in Nigeria. You saw it on workshop banners, you heard it in donor meetings, and then nothing happened on the ground. That story is changing in Kano. Under Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, OGP is no longer a slogan. It is becoming an institution.

That institutionalization is deliberate. Governor Yusuf understands that for OGP to survive beyond press releases, it must be anchored in government structure, in people, and in process. It cannot thrive on rhetoric. It needs intention, it needs commitment, and it needs follow-through.

What has happened since 2023 is what some governance people call institutional renewal. Kano OGP moved from being a donor-driven programme to a state-owned governance architecture. The focus is simple: transparency, accountability, and citizens participation.

Two things made this possible. First, political will that is practical, not just spoken. Second, a Secretariat that knows how to convert that will into structure and that structure into results. That is why result-driven engagement is now the language in Kano OGP.

The difference between this administration and past ones is clear. Before, a lot of time and donor money went into talking shops. Today, the emphasis is on building structures. The shift is from statements to structures. Other states talk about open government. Kano is building the mechanisms to enforce it.

How did the Governor do it?

First, he appointed a Senior Special Assistant on OGP, Comrade Musaddiq Kabir Adam. As far as we know, this is the first dedicated SSA on OGP at sub-national level in Nigeria. Bureaucratically, it gave OGP a direct line to the highest level of government. Politically, it sent a message that transparency has a seat at the table. This became even clearer with the inclusion of Commissioners in the process.

Second, he made a smart bipartisan move. He appointed Comrade Nura Iro Ma'aji, a well-known civil society activist who is also Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, as Government Co-Chair of OGP. This brought credibility and continuity. It helped bridge the old suspicion between government and civil society. It rebuilt trust.

Third, he broadened ownership inside government. Today, five Commissioners, four Permanent Secretaries and a Director sit on the OGP Steering Committee. OGP is no longer seen as a civil society project that reports to government. It is now a whole-of-government responsibility. Government is assessing itself, evaluating itself, and reporting on itself. That ownership matters.

Fourth, and this is the most important for sustainability, the administration established Integrity and Compliance Desk Officers, ICDOs, in all MDAs. Every ministry now has a person and an office responsible for integrity and compliance. That is how accountability stops being a slogan. If you look at why Governor Yusuf is today counted among the most prudent governors in the country, this is one of the reasons. I stand to be corrected, but the facts and the records are there.

For anyone who wants to understand how the structure works, a look at the Steering Committee will help. Kano OGP follows the standard OGP co-creation principle of 50/50 between government and non-state actors.

Under Governor Yusuf, the Steering Committee has 20 members. Ten from government, ten from civil society. It is equality in composition and equity in operation.

The government side is chaired by Government Co-Chair Comrade Nura Iro Ma'aji, Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation. The other members include four other Commissioners, the Solicitor General of Kano State, the Secretary and Legal Adviser of the Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, PCACC, Permanent Secretaries, Directors, and Musaddiq Kabir Adam, who many in Kano know as a committed civil society person, now serving as SSA on OGP, Head of Secretariat and Secretary of the Steering Committee.

The non-state actors side has 10 members. They were elected on August 6, 2026. The team has Comrade Abdurrahman Abdu as Co-Chair and lead for Anti-Corruption, Hassan Ibrahim Gama for Service Delivery, Peter Hassan Tijjani for Access to Information, Mustapha Chiroma for Fiscal Transparency, Barrister A. A. Haruna Ayagi for Access to Justice, Dr. Kabiru Hamisu Kura for Climate Change, Zuwaira Omar Muhammad for Citizens Engagement, Abdulrahman Uba Daushe for Persons with Disabilities, PWDs, plus one member from Labour and one from a professional body.

Together, the committee takes decisions jointly. Their work covers seven thematic areas. These are anti-corruption, fiscal transparency, service delivery, citizen engagement, access to information, access to justice, and climate change.

Add to this the sustained work on implementing and reviewing the Kano State Action Plan, and you will see why a platform that used to meet once in a while is now systemic. The work has moved from screen to script, and from script to action.

We must also talk about the civil society space itself. For a long time, that space had its own problems. There were leadership tussles, representation disputes, and competing interests. At some point it was pure conflict of interest. Many partnerships in Nigeria collapse at this stage. I have been in the civil society circle since 1998, with special interest in good governance, so I speak from experience.

Under State Coordinator Musaddiq Kabir Adam, the Secretariat took a different approach. Instead of directives, it chose dialogue. Instead of partisanship, it chose neutrality. Instead of convenience, it chose strict adherence to OGP principles. Rather than take sides in the disagreement, it institutionalized the process of resolving it.

This is why the Governor's choice of Musaddiq was strategic. It was careful, well-thought-out, and based on information, not speculation. It was not by accident.

One of the biggest results of this approach is the renewal of the non-state actor structure. We now have a broader, more inclusive, and more legitimate platform. Old and new organizations now sit on the same table. The rules of engagement are clear to everyone. Confidence has returned, and without confidence, no multi-stakeholder platform can work.

Once that table was fixed, participation grew. In the last one year alone, over 290 CSOs from across the country have engaged with Kano OGP. That is a vote of confidence in the new direction. It is also a morale booster for the national open government movement.

From that repair work came what I want to call One Kano OGP. It is a simple but powerful idea. OGP does not belong to government alone. It does not belong to civil society alone. It belongs to both, plus citizens, the media, youth, and development partners, all co-creating reforms in one common space. A space built on hard work, goodwill, and genuine commitment to the people.

This idea is now being implemented through initiatives like the Open School Initiative, which explains governance to students, and through citizen observation and voter education programmes. The plan is to expand platforms for youth and media participation. The goal is to take OGP from hotel conference halls to classrooms, markets, and wards.

That local credibility has brought back global confidence. Today, the Secretariat, working with the indispensable Steering Committee — I call it indispensable because of how the Governor restructured it — has re-engaged strategic partners. These include the United Nations system, ROLAC and UNODC, International IDEA, and the European Union. These engagements are not ceremonial jamborees. They are structured around six critical pillars: institutional capacity building, anti-corruption and accountability, citizen participation, youth and gender inclusion, digital governance, and technical support for OGP commitments.

This commitment has changed Kano's standing nationally. Today, on the national OGP dashboard, KANO IS RATED HEALTHY WITH A 90% SUBNATIONAL PERFORMANCE SCORE. That is one of the strongest turnarounds among OGP states in Nigeria. Kudos to Governor Yusuf, bravo to Musaddiq, and viva to the Steering Committee.

There is also the forward-looking side. Kano OGP is embracing technology and Artificial Intelligence, in line with Governor Yusuf's modernization agenda. But AI is not being used as a buzzword. It is being positioned as a tool to track service delivery, improve citizen feedback, and deepen transparency. That means more inclusion and better service for the citizen.

So what has changed the most? It is not a document or a workshop. It is institutional restoration. That is the real achievement.

Kano now has a credible, inclusive, and functioning multi-stakeholder platform where government and citizens can disagree, co-create, and co-implement. That platform did not exist two years ago. Today it exists because there is a captain steering the ship, and that captain is the Governor himself.

Two things made this restoration possible. One, the political will of Governor Yusuf, who decided to make transparency a pillar of governance, not just a PR statement. Two, the quiet, strategic, and methodical coordination of the Secretariat under Musaddiq.

The challenge now is to turn these institutional gains into real benefits that people can feel. A trader in Kantin Kwari market, a farmer in Gwarzo, a student in Dawakin Kudu — they should all feel the difference when they interact with government. That is transparency reloaded.

The foundation has been laid by Musaddiq and the Steering Committee, with close monitoring from the Governor. The structure is standing. What Kano does with this joint effort in the next two years will decide whether this becomes the national model for sub-national open governance.

For now, the lesson is clear. Open government does not grow on workshops and talkshops. It grows on political will. And in Kano, that will has been provided.

Anwar writes from Kano

Tuesday, 22nd September, 2026

Muhuyi’s Assignment, Abba's Edge: How Anti-Drug War Reshapes Kano's 2027 Race - By Abba Anwar

A triple alliance of faith and state could have been the best caption for this piece. When I talk of triple alliance, I am referring to the genuine support Barrister Muhiyi Magaji Rimingado's assigned responsibility in the Kano State Task Force Against Drug Abuse and other Related Crimes is getting from our moral bases, the Ulama, Imams and Hisbah. 

The fight against drug abuse and other related crimes is now gaining more support in the state and beyond the state. At first, few people started coloring the effort with political sentiment. But now, even at the level of comments sections of the Task Force social media handles, you begin to understand that, more and more people are supporting the move, without any recourse to political party affiliation or other human sentiments. 

In the last two to four days, I observed that, over 98% of those making comments in the comments sections of the Task Force social media handles are supporting, praying, engaging and canvassing more support for the state government in this all-important effort. Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf's genuine political will is appreciated. While Barrister Rimingado's is applauded and encouraged. 

It is very safe and logical to say that, when you have the Council of Ulama of Nigeria, the Association of Kano State Friday Mosques Imams, and the Hisbah Board all speaking with one voice in support of a government committee, you are no longer looking at ordinary politics. You are looking at a moral consensus that is translating into political capital. A tripartite moral support with strong link to state. 

That is exactly what is happening today in Kano around the Kano State Task Force Against Drug Abuse and Other Related Crimes, what many on the streets now simply call "Muhuyi's Assignment."

And from mosque pulpits to market stalls to social media comment sections, the verdict is blunt and the same. That is with this patriotic effort, Governor Yusuf is gaining more ground, winning more hearts, and inching ever closer to a second term in 2027. Morality overtakes politics. In this calculation, the chances for the Governor's reelection for a second tenure, is tilted more to the moral side than political engagement. 

Under this analogy, the Governor's achievements in the infrastructural development, the feats he achieved in the health sector, the visible results in the education sector, the good outcomes in the agricultural sector, improved beautification of the urban areas, roads networks in the rural areas, unwavering commitment towards a united APC the ruling party, and encouraging budget implementation, among others, are not the watch words here. The watch word is one, that is MORALITY. 

Which eventually led to what I call A Triple Alliance of Faith and State. Meaning the support from the religious institutions. Which is not accidental; it is structured. That is when the Council of Ulama of Nigeria, Kano State Branch, under its Chairman Sheikh Ibrahim Khalil, provided the theological seal. Drug abuse, in Islam, is not just a crime. We are told by scholars that it is indeed the mother of all evils. It destroys hankali (intellect), which Shari'ah came to protect. When the Ulama publicly commend the Task Force, they are telling the faithful that fighting drugs is ibadah. And it is by all standard. In their part the Association of Kano State Friday Mosques Imams, under Sheikh Muhammad Nasir Adam, took it directly to the people. With over 2,000 Friday Mosques under its umbrella, reaching millions of worshippers every Friday, the Imams use the Minbar into a platform for advocacy. In the last few Fridays, Sermons  (Khutbahs) across Kano Municipal, Gwale, Dala, Tarauni and other LGAs have focused on the dangers of drug abuse (shaye-shaye) and the parental responsibility to protect children. 

They are not only praying for the Task Force — they are naming and shaming the act, and calling on parents to report dealers hiding in their neighbourhoods. That is grassroots mobilization no police van can achieve.

While the Hisbah Board provides the street-level muscle. Hisbah operatives know every black spot, every uncompleted building where substances are abused. Their collaboration with the Task Force means that enforcement is no longer a game of hide-and-seek. It is coordinated, intelligence-driven, and faith-inspired. It is very clear for all to understand that when faith and state align like this, criminals lose their hideout. 

This piece is only concern with these religions groups, faith-based platforms, that is why there isn't any mention of other primary and other relevant agencies. The relevant agencies are equally important as these bodies. And sometimes above faith-based platforms. Because they are empowered by Law to enforce law and use force where necessary. My intention with this piece is only religious bodies and comments sections. 

I observed and said that Governor is gaining ground. Let's see how Muhuyi's assignment becomes Gov Abba's political advantage. In Kano politics, popularity is not built in Government House. It is built in homes where a mother is worried about her son coming home high. It is built in wards where fathers fear their daughters are being lured with codeine. It was an open secret that for decades, Kano was accused of being a transit route and a dumping ground. Dealers operated with impunity at notorious spots. Parents whispered, they prayed, but they saw no action.

The Task Force changed that narrative. Under Barrister Rimingado the committee adopted a model that is not just about arrest, it is about disruption, prevention, and justice. Then reformation also follows. That is why Kiru Reformatory Centre is extremely important and relevant. As more of such Centres are needed. 

In recent weeks alone, we had a situation where the government was able to secure the conviction of notorious suppliers who were administering intoxicating substances to vulnerable underage children — sentenced to nine years without an option of fine by Magistrate Court No. 44, Gwammaja. That single judgment sent a message: Kano's children are not for sale. When over 200 drug abusers were also convicted by the recently established mobile courts attached to the Task Force. 

Drug marketers, abusers and their connivers are no longer at ease in the state. Let me say this to the hearing of all that, these are not abstract achievements. These are kitchen-table issues. And kitchen-table issues win elections. Go and make a research on political behaviors and public engagement. 

That is the main reason why the comment sections of the Agency's Facebook and TikTok handles are no longer toxic — they are full of "Allah ya taimaka," "Allah ya saka da alheri," "A cigaba da wannan aiki," and crucially, "Abba ya yi kokari, sai second term." Market leaders at Dangwaro Market themselves are now cooperating to track illegal drugs. This is leadership by example. 

The people have connected the dots: clean hospitals plus clean streets equals a governor who cares. I was at an Agency's engagement effort. What I witnessed was superb. The reform in Drugs and Medical Consumables Supply Agency (DMCSA) — from 30% drug availability to over 90%, clearance of N1.2 billion debt, elimination of fake drugs from public hospitals — and the crackdown on illicit drugs are now seen as two arms of one policy of Governor Yusuf to clean Kano's health system. To me Governor Yusuf is Sarkin Tsaftace Kano. 

Reason why a Task Force becomes a political movement. That is how Muhuyi's assignment gives Abba more ground, more clearance for victory, more faith in his style of leadership, more loyalty from his people in the government, more courage in discharging responsibilities on the shoulders of the Task Force and more prayers and commitment for the Governor's second coming. 

We all believe and want it this way that, Continuity is the Real Issue. 

The way I see it is this, that those calling for second tenure are not just being political. They understand a bitter truth about Kano, that good initiatives die after elections.

I suggest that our Governor should break the cycle. We need institutionalization of the process and the effort. For example when a committee seizes drugs, destroys N1.5 billion worth, then after May 29th, dealers return with N3 billion worth because there is no institutional memory. Your Excellency Sir you need to institutionalize this success in the following three ways:

1) Enact a Law: Transform the Ad-hoc Task Force into Kano State Drug Control Agency with statutory powers.

2) Fund It: Sir give it a budget line in the 2026-2027 budget, just as health now enjoys over 15% above the Abuja Declaration.

3) Kindly link it to DMCSA: Let the clean drug supply chain and the dirty drug blockade work as two arms of one policy.

As a Call to Action procedure let our people know that support is more than a comment. Report a dealer. Protect a child in your street. Your support today is what makes Kano safer tomorrow. Intel is very important and impactful. 

To the Friday Imams and Ulama, please keep the khutbahs coming. The war against drugs is won in the home before it is won on the street.

To the Task Force please understand that this public love is a trust. Remain fair, remain transparent, publish every seizure and every conviction.

To the Governor, Your Excellency Sir you have found something rare — an intervention that unites Ulama, Imams, Hisbah, and the common man. It is giving you ground, it is giving you popularity, and it is giving you a strong moral case for 2027. Protect it Sir. 

The fight against drugs is not ADC or NDC or PDP versus APC. It is whether the 12-year-old in Fagge today will become a pharmacist or a patient in a rehabilitation centre.

For the first time in a long time, Kano believes it will be the permanent former drug abuse have. And it credits Muhuyi's assignment and Abba's leadership for that hope.

Anwar writes from Kano 

Sunday, 20th September, 2026

Clerics Call, Citizens Cheer: Kano Rallies Behind Muhuyi's Anti-Drug Task Force - By Abba Anwar

Politics apart, if there is anything non-political that can open corridor of victory for the Governor of Kano State, Eng Abba Kabir Yusuf to secure second term in office, that thing, could automatically be his fight against drug abuse and other related crimes strategy. Not only the fight, the political will and the commitment are but best options for better result. 

The leadership of the State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and other Related Crimes, under Barrister Muhiyi Magaji Rimingado and his able team, gives much hope and periscopes brighter future for Kano. Once a leading state in drug peddling and substance abuse. But in recent Kano political history, Governor Yusuf excels in the area of suffocating drug abuse and other related crimes, with the bringing on board of the Task Force. 

No wonder from the Minbars (pulpits) of Kano’s Mosques to the timelines of Facebook, X and WhatsApp, a single refrain is ringing out across the state: Stand with the Task Force! The war against drug abuse and illicit trafficking has taken a decisive turn, as the State Task Force pushes deeper into the Local Government Areas with arrests, raids, sensitization and community engagement. 

The result is unprecedented. When Islamic clerics are urging congregations to pray for and protect the officers, civil society groups are applauding the boldness, fearless operations and thousands of citizens online are flooding comment sections with commendations and prayers. In a moment that feels like renewed hope. Result? Kano is uniting from Pulpits to pixels, behind the fight to reclaim its streets and secure the future of its youth.

The Chairman of the Council of Ulama of Nigeria, Kano State Branch, Shaykh Ibrahim Khalil, though a gubernatorial candidate of the opposition party, calls on the people of Kano state and beyond to support the work of the Task Force and secure the future of our younger ones. This he does without any recourse to political party differences. A Shaykh like no other. 

In a widely circulated video clip, Shaykh Khalil made a courageous call as he said, "I am calling on my brothers the people of Kano state and beyond to stand up, cooperate and support the Task Force led by Barrister Muhiyi Magaji Rimingado in the fight against drug abuse and other related crimes. Because the thing is really harming us as a people. It is also retrogressive to our youth.

I also call on the government to please create a platform where people will be selected to engage these young people, our future, the youth, and counsel them. So that government will come to know their problems and frustrations. With the view to proffering lasting solution."

Reiterating his commitment and support for the Task Force's tasking responsibility, Shaykh Khalil emphasized that, "We are absolutely hopeful that, this Committee will help much in this area of drug abuse and other related crimes. 

"We are also calling on all people to rise up and help Muhuyi Magaji in this struggle with prayers. It is absolutely necessary for government to listen to these suspected criminals and know their real worries," fatherly advice by Chairman Council of Ulama, Kano Branch. 

The Commander General of the agency saddled with the responsibility of 'Al-Amr Bil Ma' aruf Wannahayi Anil Munkar' (enjoying good deed and forbidden evil), Kano State Hisbah Board, Shaykh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, in another widely circulated video clip encouraged that, "On behalf of our Hisbah, with twenty thousand (20,000) personnel, we are sending our good wishes and commendation for the establishment of Barrister Muhiyi Magaji Rimingado's Task Force on the fight against drug abuse, phone snatching and even the killing of innocent people. 

We should all thank His Excellency, the Governor for this great work. We are calling on people to commend the Task Force. This is a very important committee for all of us to encourage and support. Imams should preach against drug abuse on Minbars. So also journalists and social media users, among many others."

This Task Force, according to Shaykh Daurawa, "... is not for Barrister Muhiyi Magaji alone. We call on all those who support those miscreants to please desist from that. Doing that is counter-productive and bad for all of us."

Before saying anything concerning praises Barrister Rimingado enjoys in the social media, let me begin with commending social media handlers of the Task Force. Clips of many operations are viral in the social media. So also in the conventional media platforms, especially our radio stations and other national dailies. 

I personally searched many videos shared/posted on the Task Force's Facebook handle, monitoring operations, raids and arrests. My major concern for this, is knowing how Kano people react to Barrister Rimingado's operations and other activities under the Task Force. 

While over 90 percent of the reviewed comments are praises, commendations, encouragement and prayers directed at Barrister Rimingado and his team, like 5 percent or so condemned the mode of operations and 5 percent or so condemned the work of the Task Force in its entirety. The tiny percentage that totally condemned the Task Force is mainly because of political differences. Or because they work and judge with hearsay. 

Let me share some of the comments here. I visited some postings and monitored their comment sections. I also monitored shares and likes. 

A fraction of my findings is briefly presented below:

1- In posting "A" there are 4.8k and 225 comments. Some of the comments are that of Sagir Aminu who said, "Our people should not politicize this problem. It affects all. May Allah see us through." Mannir Sale Muhammad critically observed that, "Masha Allah. All what Muhiyi Magaji said is true in its purest form. I saw a boy in railway who is always intoxicated from drug abuse." Imam Bichi commented, "We wish you the best always."

Bashir Nasidi Muhammad encouraged that, "We are solidly behind you in the fight against drug abuse. But you should make sure that there is a need for good investigation always. We are wishing you well."

Jameel Yareema commended that, "I really enjoy your commitment. May Allah help you and guide you always. And whoever breaks the law should be punished." Aminuddeen Abdullahi commended and encouraged that, "Wallahi Wallahi Wallahi we are with you always. Ours is to say may Allah protect you and make you successful Barrister Muhiyi Magaji Rimingado."

2. In posting "B" there are 7.6k Likes, 282 Comments and 220 Shares. Under this one Sulaiman Sani said, "Truthfully this is the most important and crucial job that Abba's administration created since their assumption." Yusuf Muhammad commented that, "Oga this is Fashion Parade because you can't fight drugs with (sic) telling them you are coming to them by (sic) siren."

Hafizu Akilu said, "Whenever you see someone condemning this work of Muhuyi's Committee he is not loving Kano. Or such a person is not from Kano. Because I observed there are a few individuals who hates Kano and they are condemning the effort."

Hamza Musa compared Muhuyi and Wike in his comment. He said, "Wike and Muhuyi are like twin brothers. Even if you don't like them, but you can't deny that they are working. Though I don't like Muhuyi because of a reason I reserve for myself, I think he deserves federal appointment."

Musa Yunusa commented that, "Wallahi Wallahi Wallahi I'm extremely happy with what Muhuyi's Committee did concerning those children around Nassarawa Specialists Hospital, (now called Abdullahi Wase Hospital). You always see them abusing drugs." Abdullahi Ismail Muhammed KT, who sees the Task Force work as a mere content creation said, "This is a good content."

3- In posting "C" there are 7.6k Likes, 282 Comments and 220 Shares. Under this Ibrahim Y. Said commented that, "If the Kano State government is really serious about this, marketers of such illicit drug should be arrested. And all routes used by them in trafficking the drugs should also be blocked." Usman T Abdullahi, who saw the operation as a film or drama, queried that," Name of the Scene." To me you may not blame him. Probably he witnessed similar efforts in the past, that derailed. So it is up to the Task Force to take the challenge and prove to Usman and like-minded individuals that it is no longer as usual. 

Bukhari Ashafa, who volunteered to be part of this great effort, urged that, "Please give us the phone number for giving you intel." Saleh Nuhu commented, "Show of force. This is our collective fight." And Usman Tijjani Abdulqadir said "Well done."

4- In posting "D" there are 4.9k Likes, 107 Comments and 79 Shares. One Musa Ahmed encouraged that, "Wallahi whenever an educated man is assigned with responsibility he will deliver. In less that one Month Muhuyi terrified drug abusers and marketers." Nasir Sani Dansaja who looked at the medical side of the operations advised that, "Please you should be using hand gloves next time, for safety." 

Malam Usman Fantami encouraged and appreciated the personality of Barrister Muhuyi, he said, "Whichever appointment is given to Muhuyi I believe without any doubt that, the result will be fruitful."

5- In posting "E" there are 14k likes, 694 comments, 705 shares and 379 saved. This is a posting from BBC Hausa Service, in an interview with Muhuyi.  In the comment section, one Bashir Mukhtar said, "I urge respectfully the Governor of Kano State to please encourage Barrister Muhiyi with everything and resources. So that he can work well continuously. I also urge His Excellency to please reopen Reformatory Institute Kiru and to establish another one in Kano Central and Kano North. So that the Centres can cater very well for the children involved in this menace of drug abuse. May Allah continue to protect our families and cater for those coming much later."

Umar Usman Danlarabawa in his comment observed something critically important. He said, "Malam Muhiyi Magaji my observation concerning parents' undertaking whose children are involved in this problem. Most of those young people engaging in this drug abuse cannot be controlled by their parents. Their hearts are that hard that they don't even listen to their parents. 

When a father is taken away by the Task Force who then will cater for the remaining children back home? When a father confessed that he can't correct his ward, so the burden is on government to know what to do with the bad egg. But for a father who comes forward to bail his child or children, then such a father should write undertaking. I do hope that Muhuyi will see this advice and work with it."

Abdulmutallib Muhammad Sani, in his comment adviced that, "If and only if government and Judges will support Muhiyi Magaji the effort will be successful. Because I know him as someone who keeps faith in whatever responsibility assigned to him. He is an achiever. Though I differ with him in politics, but I support him hundred percent in this struggle. There is nothing more harmful for us in Kano than drug abuse and related crimes."

Muhammad G. Muhammad warned in his comment that, "People are taking this problem for granted. Unknown to them that this is a very serious problem. That we must all wake up an fight collectively. We just have to aid our able security agencies win this war." 

Hafizu Akilu another commentator queried with annoyance that, "In the entire world setting who gives birth to a boy and pushes him to the society for life direction, if not a Hausa man? His (Hausa man) is only interested in making love and producing babies without any recourse to how to train them in their upbringing."

Above are some of the comments I came across with while examining how Kano people react to the work of the Task Force. 

One greater thing I observed is, even the security agents going round with Barrister Rimingado for operations, are ready for the work. You will see courage, will and belief that the leader of the team, Rimingado, is courageous, unapologetic and honest in discharging his responsibility. The moral support is there, being promoted by the Chairman. 

My final call is to the Governor, Sir this Task Force alone if handled well, can give you second tenure comfortably. And beyond that, it can pave your way to the Jannatul-Fiddaus. 

Anwar writes from Kano 

Friday, 11th September, 2026