By Munir Ibrahim Publisher
Kano State today stands at a pivotal moment in its history. Once described as languishing on the margins of development, it is now visibly transforming from the ground up. Roads are being renovated, schools are being upgraded, public services are improving, and economic activity is thriving. If you walk through Kano today, you’ll feel it: the air hums not just with traffic, but with progress.
In a country where political conversation often centers on division, rhetoric, and partisan maneuvering, Kano’s most important political task right now is simple: focus on what is actually being delivered, not on distractions that serve no practical purpose.
The True Purpose of Politics
Politics, at its best, is about one thing: improving the lives of people. It can be summed up in an age-old democratic truth: government is of the people, by the people, and for the people.
We engage in politics to ensure that public institutions work for citizens, delivering education, healthcare, infrastructure, security and economic opportunity. It’s about dividends of democracy tangible improvements that touch everyday life.
For many Nigerians, these are more than words. They are the daily realities that determine whether a child gets an education, whether a retiree receives their pension, or whether a trader can open for business without worrying about basic amenities.
Kano’s Transformation in Practical Terms
Under the leadership of Abba Kabir Yusuf, Kano has embarked on a tangible path of development across multiple sectors:
1. Pension Reform: Respecting the Elderly
One of the clearest examples of people-centered governance is the systematic clearing of pension liabilities that had been neglected for years.
Governor Yusuf inherited an estimated ₦48 billion backlog in unpaid pensions and gratuities left by previous administrations. Since assuming office in May 2023, his government has paid billions in staggered tranches including:
• ₦6 billion initial payment
• Multiple ₦5 billion disbursements reaching a total of over ₦27 billion paid toward clearing pension debts so far. 
These payments represent more than just accounting, they have real economic impact. Pensioners who finally received their entitlements spent money in local markets, boosting commerce and circulating capital where it was needed most.
2. Education: Investing in the Future
Governor Yusuf’s administration has reallocated nearly one-third of the state budget to education, exceeding international benchmarks. This financial priority has translated into:
• Hiring thousands of teachers and upgrading educational staff
• Reducing tuition fees by 50% in state tertiary institutions
• Reviving scholarships and supporting thousands of students 
These measures are not abstract promises, they reshape the future of Kano’s children and youth.
3. Healthcare and Public Welfare
Healthcare improvements include surpassing the Abuja Declaration minimum funding target, recruiting more health professionals, and introducing free maternal healthcare services, all aimed at reducing preventable deaths and improving public health. 
4. Urban and Rural Infrastructure
From rehabilitating roads to investing in irrigation and agriculture projects, Kano’s physical landscape is being reshaped. These investments improve mobility, promote rural productivity, and help stabilize food prices across the region. 
Words from the Field: Voices of Appreciation
In his remarks during the state’s 65th Independence Day celebration, Governor Yusuf outlined key achievements across education, health, agriculture, and workers’ welfare, a testament to the breadth of development efforts his administration is championing. 
These accomplishments are not just government talking points, they are changes felt by traders whose businesses are thriving, parents whose children now attend better schools, and retirees who finally receive long-overdue entitlements.
Why This Matters for Kano’s People
It is easy in Nigerian politics to be consumed by political symphonies, narratives crafted to provoke emotional responses, distract from realities, or incite division. But development is not measured in slogans, it is measured in:
• metres of paved road
• percentages of budget spent on health and education
• pension cheques that reach the elderly on time
• farmers who access inputs that boost harvests
These are measurable impacts that improve lives.
A Call for Clarity and Collective Focus
Kano is changing, not by accident, but through policies, planning, and implementation. It is in the people’s interest to rally behind what works, scrutinize what doesn’t, and hold leadership accountable where necessary.
But above all, the people of Kano must prioritize substance over spectacle. Development that benefits citizens, tangible infrastructure, economic opportunity, improved services, should matter more than partisan narratives that offer nothing but noises.
Today, Kano is not waiting for a miracle. It is building one, brick by brick, school by school, pension cheques in hand. That is what politics should be about.
And that is why Kano should focus on the reality of transformation, not be deceived by politics devoid of practical purpose.