JIGAWA UNDER NAMADI: Steady growth through continuity and visionary leadership

Model of harmonious succession

One thing that makes Jigawa State stand out among the comity of states in Nigeria is the smooth relationship between Governor Umar Namadi and his predecessor, Muhammad Badaru, the current Minister of Defence. On 29 May 2023, in his inaugural speech as the fourth elected governor of Jigawa State, Mr Namadi pledged to sustain, and build on the successes of his predecessor, stating that government is a continuous process for the advancement of the collective interest of the citizens.

Mr Namadi said during the event held at the Aminu Kano Triangle, Dutse: “The success stories of the Muhammad Badaru administration are indeed too numerous to be recounted here. Fortunately, they have all been comprehensively documented in the compendium for posterity. Our pledge is to continue to build on these legacies, taking into consideration the lessons, experiences, and challenges of the last eight years.

“Government and governance are a continuous process… Within the context of the long-term perspective of the state’s development framework, our priorities would be on the pursuit of policies, projects, and programmes focused on areas that generate inclusive and human-centred economic growth, particularly agriculture, small and medium scale enterprises, and critical infrastructure”, he added.

There are factors that made Mr Namadi enjoy a smooth transition of power and governance. His party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was in control of the state when he succeeded Mr Badaru. Secondly, he had served as the finance commissioner and later as deputy governor from 2015 to 2023 in the Badaru administration.

Governor Namadi and his predecessor, Mr Badaru, Minister of defence

Despite his fairly long presence in the system prior to his endorsement, Mr Namadi was rated by some analysts as a dark horse among the array of potential successors of Mr Badaru as governor. He was ostensibly rated as an outsider due to his humble and austere disposition. But having correctly deciphered Mr Namadi’s leadership qualities and visionary ability, Governor Badaru and the APC hierarchy in the state chose and stuck with him as the best man for the top job.

After one year in the saddle as governor, Governor Namadi has remarkably succeeded in putting Jigawa on the path of steady and sustainable development. Some of the attributes that set Mr Namadi apart and endear him to the people are his tenacious commitment to grassroots issues, focused leadership and financial discipline coupled with his zero tolerance of laxity and truancy by workers. He has no room for eye service and sycophancy. With him, there are no sacred cows as he sanctions erring officials including cabinet members without minding whose ox is gored.

In January, eight months after assuming office, Mr Namadi received his second and more resounding endorsement by his predecessor and Minister of Defence, Mr Badaru. It was when the latter made his first home visit to Jigawa, the state he governed for eight years from 2015 to 2023. The minister said he has been vindicated over the choice of successor going by Governor Namadi’s developmental strides and his deserving popularity among the people of the state.

“Mr Namadi keeps his administration on track, standing on his 12-point development blueprint, to better the lives of the citizens. He refused to be distracted by merchants of political crisis who tried unsuccessfully to pitch him against his predecessor,” a senior citizen of the state told this PREMIUM Times reporter.

The senior citizen, who is also an APC stalwart in the state, said he could recall attending a meeting of party stakeholders with Governor Namadi in attendance few months after he assumed office, when he (the governor) said ‘anyone saying that he belongs to the Muhammad Badaru’s camp let him know that I am the most senior person in the camp,’ in a subtle way to stress that there is no division between him and his predecessor.

Continuation and completion of inherited roads projects

On the occasion of the first anniversary of his administration on 29 May, Mr Namadi said his administration had expended over N25 billion on 26 inherited road projects covering about 340 kilometres across the state. Some of the projects were completed and commissioned within the first year of his administration. The governor stated:

“Over the last twelve months, we have not only continued to implement and complete all ongoing projects but have also initiated new ones across all sectors.

“In the realm of road infrastructure, as at the time we took over the reins of leadership, there were 26 ongoing road projects covering a total distance of about 340 kilometres across the length and breadth of Jigawa State.

“The total initial cost of all the projects was over N82.03 billion for which actual payment as at May 29, 2023, was about N32 billion – meaning that over 60% of the total cost of all the ongoing road projects was still outstanding either as liabilities or contractual commitments.

“While some of the inherited projects were nearing completion, almost the majority were below 30%. Even though the initial contract sum was recently reviewed upward due to the inflationary trend in the economy, I am pleased to inform citizens of Jigawa State that as of today, we have made additional payments of over N25 billion in the execution of the projects.

“It is also pleasing to report that several of the inherited ongoing projects are now either fully completed or are at an advanced state of completion.

“With these accomplishments, we have now commenced preparation to embark on new projects including rehabilitation and or asphalt overlay of some existing roads and completely new roads construction projects comprising both regional and township roads”, Mr Namadi added.

Checks carried out by PREMIUM Times confirmed that some of the inherited and completed road projects are: the construction of dualisation of Fanisau -Unity Roundabout 11.5 kilometres in Dutse, completed; construction of Gwaram Warji (Bauchi Border) 5.5 kilometres, in Gwaram, completed; Rehabilitation of Kwanar Albasu (Garki) – Kargo – Kwanar Jigawar Dan Ali road 37 kilometres, at Garki/Babura, completed.

Others are the construction of access road from Shagari Quarters – Three star junction 2.5 kilometres, at Dutse, completed; Rehabilitation of failed section at Karnaya Kwanar Gabari road 22.7 kilometres, at Dutse, completed; construction of Wurno Township road, 2.37 kilometres in Birnin Kudu, completed and rehabilitation of failed section at Chai Chai – Ringim road, 23 kilometres, also completed.

Development in health sector

Mr Namadi also outlined some of the achievements his administration recorded in the healthcare delivery sector in the last one year. He said that his administration had also undertaken a gap analysis in the performance of all the existing health facilities.

“As at May 2023, there were 38 ongoing projects worth over N17.2 billion at various stages of completion. These largely included the provision of infrastructure, supply of medical equipments and consultancies in respect of the specialist hospitals in Hadejia and Kazaure, Gumel Orthopaedic Hospitals, establishment of new general hospitals and upgrading of other primary and secondary healthcare facilities.”

Mr Namadi announced that the total payments made by his administration on these projects were almost N12.1billion since he took over on 29 May, 2023. He said that the administration was working assiduously to complete all the projects with additional payments of about N1.3 billion.

In addition to these, Mr Namadi said that his administration has undertaken additional projects worth about N1.4 billion involving solar and conventional power.

Achievements in agriculture

Governor Namadi inspecting ongoing projects in Jigawa State. (PHOTO CREDIT: Govt House media office)

Concerning the strides recorded by the Namadi administration in the agriculture sector, the technical Adviser on Agriculture to the governor, Saifullahi Umar, said the state Agricultural Supply Company (JASCO) purchased 90,000 bags (150 trucks) of NPK fertiliser for the 2024 farming season at the cost of N2 billion. He said that benefitting farmers bought the fertilisers at special centres at subsidized price of N16,000 per 50kg bag across the state.

Mr Umar added that another N1 billion was spent by JASCO on procurement and distribution of 54 units of tractors to 27 local government areas in the state as loan and the construction of irrigation structures in community – Agricultural Transformation support (AIDB) at the sum of N29,896,327.

The technical adviser said that harrowing of land under the Rice Millionaire Programme across the state cost the sum of N49,500,000 while ploughing of land under the same programme attracted an expenditure of the sum of N55,000,000.

Also, in the last one year, Mr Umar said the government empowered 1,720 widows through the state government Goats Micro Credit Scheme in four local government areas Kiyawa, Guri, Gagarawa and Yankwashi) at the sum of N108,000,000.

“The government also re-stocked three water bodies at each senatorial zone of the state (Birnin-Kudu, Ringim and Hadejia fish ponds) at the sum of N4,162,000 and payment of loan guarantee to wheat farmers across the state at the sum of N2,244,377,125.00,” Mr Umar said among others range of achievements.

On how the administration has been addressing the challenge of farmers-herders conflict, Mr Umar, said it demarcated 30 number of grazing reserves and 30 number of cattle routes across the state in the last one year.

“We have retrieved and demarcated encroached grazing reserves, stock routes and other government land in Gwaram and Birnin-Kudu, through this, 8,094 hectares of land was retrieved and demarcated”, he stated.

Achievements in education

The education sector in the state was not left out in Governor Namadi’s transformation initiatives. The Namadi administration said it has employed 3,143 new teachers and offered appointments to 147 first-class graduates to teach in the state’s seven tertiary institutions in the last one year.

According to the Chairman of the Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in the state, Haruna Musa, the newly employed teachers had served as temporary teachers for two years under the state government’s programme known as ‘J-Teach.’ He said they were being absorbed into the state’s teaching service after passing an examination.

Mr Musa’s colleague at the Ministry for Higher Education, Yusuf Chamo, said the Namadi administration inherited only 2,566 teachers in the state, and has now increased the numbers to 5,986. He added that about 3,733 teachers were trained on modern teaching and learning skills while the state has also approved the upward review of scholarship and bursary awards by 100 per cent.

“The state government employed 107 permanent and pensionable teaching staff and 54 non-teaching staff for the three mega schools across the state. In addition to our commitment to achieve this, we sent over 120 students to study medicine in Cyprus and India, launched the construction of the N5.5billion School of Nursing and Midwifery, and established three tertiary health institutions in the state”, Mr Chamo said.

Meanwhile the governor in a series of event to mark his one year in office said his plan for the state outlined 12 point agenda in developing agriculture, education and empowerment among other sectors.

“In our commitment to the fulfilment of our campaign promises for the implementation of our 12-point agenda, we also recruited a total of 1,440 agricultural extension workers under the J-Agro programme and 1,005 junior and senior health personnel,” the governor said.

“Our 12-point agenda is designed to make Jigawa State great through providing access to quality education for all children in the state, and to achieve this, we must bridge our teacher gap,” he added.

Tackling the challenge of water scarcity in the state capital

Governor Namadi inspecting ongoing projects in Jigawa State. (PHOTO CREDIT: Govt House media office)

The new administration in the state has started well in various sectors but water supply in the capital city has remained a challenge for several residents, said Musbahu Basirka, a civil society activist and Chairman Anti-Corruption Network in Jigawa State. Mr Basirka said the government has to do more in water supply in the Dutse in the second year of the administration.

“The water supply situation in Dutse metropolitan is significant, boasting over 200 boreholes and around 30 water schemes comprising both solar-powered and motorized systems.

“The total projected water supply quantity amounts to ninety 90 million litres daily, catering to over twenty areas within Dutse metropolitan. However, some communities outside Dutse face challenges due to limited boreholes or the vandalism of water equipment.

“The challenges faced include inadequate water supply in certain areas, with coverage falling short of nearly 40% to 60% in each area. Despite more than half of the city receiving water, incidents of vandalism of cables, water pipes, and solar panels significantly impact the supply.

“The current administration, led by Malam Umar Namadi, has made notable efforts within a year by procuring and providing water equipment, as well as repairing and upgrading various water schemes in Dutse and beyond.

“Nevertheless, additional efforts are necessary as many communities outside Dutse resort to manual boreholes for water access. Also, community ownership poses another major challenge, prompting civil society activists to educate community members on the importance of safeguarding water equipment to prevent disruptions that could adversely affect the people”, Mr Basirka said.

A resident of Dutse town, Abdulkahar Muhammad, outlined the areas where water scarcity is troubling the most as Garu, Fagoji, Bakkwato, Zai, Gida Dubu, Sabuwar Takur and Kachi. He said residents of the aforementioned areas bought a 25-litre of water as high as N70 during the recent strike embarked upon by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Relatively, Jigawa under Governor Namadi has been enjoying peace and security of lives and property. This did not come about as a happenstance. Mr Namadi has been deliberate in working together with the military, police, paramilitary organs and the civil society to ensure prevalence of comparative peace and harmony across the length and breadth of the state.

In recognition of his impressive performance in office, Mr Namadi was bestowed with the prestigious Merit Award by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in May. He was honored at the institute’s 2024 Annual Dinner and Awards Night held in Lagos. He was particularly praised by the Institute for his outstanding leadership and commitment to promoting financial discipline and transparency not only within Jigawa State but across the nation.

While conferring the award on the governor, Innocent Okwuosa, the President and Chairman of the ICAN Governing Council, praised Governor Namadi for his exceptional implementation of sound financial policies and his relentless efforts in fostering accountability in governance.

Governor Namadi was similarly honored with the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Diamond prize for Excellence in Food Security and recognised as a patron of the Institute.

The award letter, given to him on the occasion of the NIPR’s 60th anniversary ceremony, acknowledges the governor’s outstanding achievements in agriculture affirming his position among the top five most performing governors.

While presenting the award letter to the governor, the National President of NIPR, Ike Neliaku, lauded Mr Namadi for his transformative contributions to Jigawa State’s economy and the improved livelihoods of its residents, neighboring states, and beyond.