KAYOAB writes open letter to Kano governor-elect, Abba Gida Gida

Dear Governor-elect Abba Gida-Gida,

We, the Kano Youth Organization Abuja (KAYOAB), would like to extend our congratulations to you on your electoral victory in the March 18, 2023 governorship election. We hope that your administration will bring about positive changes and improvements to Kano State.

As you are aware, Kano is the most populous state in Northern Nigeria and has experienced rapid urbanization since the late 10th Century, owing to its prominence as an urban center for Trans-Saharan trade. However, this growth has presented a number of challenges to the state, including high levels of unemployment, increased crime rates, infrastructure decay, environmental pollution, traffic congestion, and a decline in commercial activities. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics, Kano’s unemployment rate stood at 25.36% in 2020, which has led to an increase in crime rates and other social vices such as theft, armed robbery, kidnapping, rape, and political thuggery.

In addition to unemployment, drug abuse is also a serious issue in Kano State, with approximately 16% of the population being drug addicts, according to the Chairman of the NDLEA, Buba Marwa, in 2021. We urge your administration to prioritize the fight against drug abuse and addiction to safeguard the health and well-being of the state’s citizens.

Furthermore, Kano has a large number of out-of-school children, with 837,479 children reported to be out of school in 2022. We believe that your administration will take decisive action to address this issue, given your past experience and commitment to education.

Kano is known for its commercial activity, which attracts people from different parts of the world for business. However, the state has been losing its status as a commercial hub due to the nonchalant attitude of previous administrations. We urge your administration to make a serious commitment to reviving the state’s economy and attracting more local and foreign investors.

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Agriculture is one of the mainstays of Kano’s economy, yet it has been largely neglected, resulting in a reduction in farming activities. Although Kano is rich in surface water resources, with almost 23 dams, only a small percentage of the state’s irrigation potential has been explored. As a result, the rural economy remains largely untapped in all the senatorial districts. We implore your administration to prioritize agriculture and explore the state’s irrigation potential to create more opportunities for farmers and boost the state’s economy.

We would like to remind you that the youth of Kano State played a crucial role in your election victory. Therefore, we urge you to make young people the cornerstone of your administration by entrusting them with positions of authority and giving them a voice in the government. Any government that fails to prioritize youth representation cannot be taken seriously in today’s world. We believe that by working with young leaders of tomorrow, you can build a transcendent legacy and deliver on your many promises with humility and grace.

Finally, we urge you to be wary of sycophants in the corridors of power, whose interests lie in bootlicking and hypocrisy. These individuals will do everything to praise you, but will also be the first to criticize you if you fail to deliver on your mandate. We remain committed to supporting your administration and hope that you will work tirelessly to uplift our dear state and its citizens.

Alhassan A. Bala, PRO, Kano Youth Organization Abuja (KAYOAB), write this piece from Abuja