What do the Awards for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf tell us?
By IBRAHIM MUSA
This week, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has found himself in the spotlight of national acclaim. As he leads his peers in a uniquely transformative leadership style, the nation seems to be taking note with keen interest. Three separate honors — from Vanguard Newspaper, Heritage Times Magazine, and Leadership Newspaper— have anointed him with titles such as Governor of the Year (Education), African Governor of the Year (Good Governance), and Personality of the Year. The interesting thing about these unsolicited recognitions is that they came all at once from the media industry, which has been known to be hyper-critical. And this is nothing short of a validation of purposeful leadership emerging from one of Nigeria’s most populous and vibrant states. From Nigeria to Morocco, we all sing one chorus- Kano is Working, Abba is Working.
Nigeria is perhaps no stranger to award politics. Some recognitions are less about rigorous evaluation and more about symbolism — gestures meant to endorse political trajectories or curry favor with power brokers. But what makes Gov. Abba’s recognitions particularly interesting is the context and timing. Elected in a fiercely contested race in 2023 when he flew the flag of an opposition party with hitherto no well-established structure in Kano state or elsewhere, Gov. Yusuf inherited a deeply divided political landscape and a state grappling with overwhelming challenges. Youth unemployment, educational deficits, pension debacles nearly plunging the state into a social security crisis, and general infrastructural decay were at their peak. The state was marked by a complex mix of rapidly growing urban slums, economic underdevelopment, rising debt, pervasive corruption, public frustrations, and lethargy in governance. People had lost hope, and nothing seemed to be working. From day one, Gov. Abba made it clear that governance would not be business as usual. His early moves, including an aggressive push to redress the deliberate missteps of his predecessor and a visible investment in roadworks, street lighting, rural development, hospital revival, human capital development, and school rehabilitation, earned him swift endorsements among loyalists and optimism among critics. Consistently, Gov. Abba’s administration has shown a striking willingness to confront longstanding inefficiencies and push the agenda of a greater Kano ahead of personal interest or primordial sentiments.
Reforms are known to be a difficult and painful endeavor, and reformers often get misunderstood before the dividends start rolling out. For Abba, leadership is a terrain he was born into- he wears it, speaks it, breathes it, and lives it. From sanitizing the procurement process in line with due process and global best practices, prioritizing transparency and accountability in programs targeted at reducing poverty indices, and massive deployment of social reinvestment programs to an ambitious plan to set up at least one functional health facility per political ward that would run 24/7 services- one must submit that even Mahathir of Malaysia would be green with envy. Having worked closely with Gov. Abba over the past 3 months, I have seen and learned the seven habits of highly effective people directly from his actions. It is little wonder that the nation is now beginning to see the great yet unassuming leader he is made up of. The dexterity with which he handles the constant nuisance of rejected Abuja politicians, who are hell-bent on distracting him to drag Kano down, earns universal respect.
I don’t want to spill the beans. But as the Yankess would say, “You ain’t seen anything yet.” The great things that will come during Gov. Abba’s tenure will not only daze you but redefine the concept of servant and visionary leadership in Nigeria. Wait until you see him commissioning 2,000 megawatts of electricity to enable the revival of our moribund industries. Wait until you see him driving the 5-year investment strategy to attract at least $10 billion in foreign and local investments in Kano. Wait until he opens the massive land and water banks for special agro-industrial processing zones. Wait until you see him giving Kano a new master plan toeing the path of Dubai. Wait until you see him making Kano great.
Congratulations, Sir! May we live long and witness the actualization of your dream for Kano state. While we celebrate the testimonies from the news industry, we look forward to the favorable verdict from the classrooms, the markets, and the streets of Kano itself.
*Dr. Ibrahim Musa is a special advisor to the governor of Kano State on health services. He can be reached via muazamusa@yahoo.com
