Headlines
‘Kidnapping in Nigeria poses greater threat than terrorism’
By Nasiru Yusuf
An Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), Baba Muhammad has said the threat posed by rampant kidnapping is higher than that of terrorism in Nigeria.
He said Nigeria, especially the northern part, is witnessing a wave of kidnappings, perpetrated by bandits collecting ransom, amounting to millions of naira from innocent citizens.
Speaking at a graduation dinner, organized by the 2019 Class of Masters in Public Relations (MPR) of Bayero University Kano (BUK), held at Chinese Palace in Kano on Saturday, Mr Muhammad revealed that the criminals have now employed news tricks using social media platforms.
According to him, the issue of kidnapping and banditry has taken a huge toll on the country to the extent that even security personnel are not spared by the dastardly act, disclosing that the bandits have employed new technique of recruiting members via social media.
“These bandits no longer engage in physical recruitment where they used to recruit almajiris as members. They are now sophisticated enough to recruit members through Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and others. They use these platforms to recruit members.
“So, the only way to counter their tricks is to be knowledgeable enough and be on those social media platforms. If they are on Facebook, be on Facebook, if they are on Twitter, be on Twitter.
“As a PR practitioner, you must widen your horizon and be versatile in order to use your profession in checking the menace of insecurity in this country,” he advised
Mr Mohammad also called on PR practitioners to contribute their quotas in checking the menace of kidnapping and terrorism.
On his part, a former spokesman of the Nigerian Army, Sani Usman Kuka-Sheka, shared experience on how he countered Boko Haram propaganda using his PR profession.
He said at the beginning of Boko Haram insurgency, people in the Northeast were afraid to call the name of “Shekau” and “Boko Haram”, adding that he used certain techniques to make the people understand that the insurgents are ” simply criminals”.
“If a video of an attack appeared, I used to spend about 10 hours to analyse it. The missing link between Boko Haram propaganda and the government is communication.
“Boko Haram engaged international Hausa news media like the BBC, VOA, RFI etc to speak in Hausa. When I realized that, I also engaged same media platforms to counter that propaganda in Hausa.
“That was how people got to know the real Boko Haram. I used my PR knowledge to change the narrative because people in the Northeast were insinuating that Boko Haram members are invincible. They have more than one life,” he said
Mr Kuka-Sheka added that, “On the part of the soldiers, I used techniques to keep them brave and in high morale. There was a time when a battalion was attacked 17 times, but I used communication techniques to keep the soldiers strong to the extent that there was a time they killed over ninety insurgents in a day.
“These are the techniques I used to change the soldiers to fighting machines. In this light, I want the graduating students to know that PR is not done in media only. It can be successful in every human endeavor,” he advised.
The retired brigadier-general also recalled how Borno elders once threatened to sue him in the course of his official duty.
He said a suicide bomber intercepted in Maiduguri once told the military that it was her father who took her to Boko-Haram to be used for attack.
In his address, Professor Umaru Pate, the Dean, School of Post-Graduate Studies, BUK charged public relations practitioners to embrace different social platforms in reaching their publics.
He said many opportunities await PR practitioners as universities would soon start looking for them to teach at the proposed department of Public Relations as approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
Also speaking the National president of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) Sirajo Zubairu urged the MPR graduates to join the institute to enable them become professional PR practitioners.
He said the institute would give “special consideration” to those who want register with the NIPR.
Headlines
Abdulaziz unveils project inspection initiative, trains APC social media inflluencers at Arewa media summit
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Enlightenment, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has unveiled a regional project inspection initiative aimed at showcasing key development projects in Northern Nigeria, while urging journalists and social media influencers to uphold ethical communication and combat misinformation.
Speaking on Monday at the maiden Arewa Media Summit in Kano, organised by his office, Abdulaziz said the gathering was conceived to strengthen dialogue between government, citizens and the media through accountability, responsibility and ethical communication.
He said effective governance depends on transparency, responsible civic engagement and a professional media that serves as a bridge between leaders and the people through factual and balanced reporting.
The presidential aide also cautioned social media influencers, who command large online audiences, to verify information before publication and avoid content capable of creating division, particularly as the country approaches the 2027 general elections.
According to him, more than 100 All Progressives Congress (APC) social media communicators were trained ahead of the summit to enhance their capacity to communicate government policies, programmes and achievements effectively.
Abdulaziz also unveiled the Gani Ya Kori initiative, a regional project inspection tour designed to spotlight landmark projects executed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Northern state governors that have received limited public attention.
“The initiative will help ensure that citizens are adequately informed about development projects and government interventions across the region,” he said.
The summit also featured a keynote address by the Minister of Information and National Reorientation, Mohammed Idris, who urged journalists and social media influencers to deny bandits and terrorists the publicity they seek.
“The media has an indispensable role in denying violent extremists the publicity they seek while promoting unity, resilience and hope,” the minister said.
He stressed that democracy flourishes when government remains transparent, citizens participate responsibly and the media performs its constitutional role with professionalism, fairness and integrity.
Idris observed that while the digital revolution has transformed communication by making every smartphone a broadcasting platform, it has also accelerated the spread of fake news and disinformation capable of undermining national unity and public confidence.
Declaring the summit open, Kano State Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf called on other states to emulate Kano’s Special Reporters Initiative, through which more than 150 young people have been deployed to ministries, departments, agencies and the state’s 44 local government areas to strengthen government communication and public enlightenment.
KANO FOCUS reports that the summit attracted journalists, broadcasters, filmmakers, digital content creators, academics, policymakers and communication professionals from across Northern Nigeria to deliberate on the theme, “Government, Citizens: Accountability, Responsibility and Ethical Media Practice.”
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Government says it has executed 1,508 development projects worth more than N928 billion across the state’s 44 local government areas since Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf assumed office, with about 80 per cent of constituency projects awarded between 2023 and 2025 already completed.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Commissioner for Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Comrade Nura Iro Ma’aji Sumaila, disclosed this during an international press briefing on the administration’s infrastructure development programme.
According to Comrade Sumaila, the projects cover critical sectors including roads, urban renewal, education, healthcare, security and other social infrastructure.
He said 799 of the projects have been completed, while 709 are at various stages of execution. He added that the state is also implementing 619 constituency projects through members of the Kano State House of Assembly.
The commissioner noted that about 80 per cent of the constituency projects have been completed. However, he said some projects remain unfinished because of rising construction costs caused by inflation.
He said the government has submitted a request to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for an upward review of contract sums to enable contractors complete the affected projects.
Breakdown of projects
Comrade Sumaila said the administration spent over N169 billion on urban renewal projects, including road rehabilitation, drainage construction and other metropolitan infrastructure.
He said another N118 billion was committed to constructing five-kilometre roads in 38 local government areas to improve connectivity across the state.
According to him, the government also awarded contracts worth over N6.8 billion for the construction of Kano State Neighbourhood Watch security divisions in 36 local government areas.
He added that rural infrastructure projects covering education, healthcare and other social interventions across the 44 local government areas account for contracts valued at more than N397 billion, while other ongoing projects have a combined value of about N255 billion.
Commitment to transparency
The commissioner said the Ministry of Public Procurement, Projects Monitoring and Evaluation would continue to ensure compliance with due process and technical standards in the execution of government projects.
He said the ministry’s mandate includes monitoring projects to ensure value for money and prudent utilisation of public resources.
According to him, the administration’s investments in infrastructure are intended to improve mobility, strengthen security, expand access to education and healthcare, improve water supply and stimulate economic growth across the state.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State has emerged as the highest-ranked sub-national government in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for education spending, according to the latest Sub-National Education Spending Index developed by the University of Paris.
KANO FOCUS reports that the ranking places Kano State first among 209 first-level sub-national governments across 15 ECOWAS member countries, underscoring the state’s growing reputation for prioritising investment in education.
According to the published index, Kano topped the rankings with an overall S-WAESI score of 87.21, outperforming other leading regions, including Dakar and Saint-Louis in Senegal. Lagos State was the second Nigerian state on the list, ranking 16th overall.
The assessment evaluated states and regions using the S-WAESI (Sub-National Weighted Aggregate Education Spending Index) methodology, which measures government commitment to education through indicators such as actual education expenditure, spending per student, budget execution, education priority, transparency and evidence-based reporting.
The methodology assigns 35 points to actual education spending, 25 points to spending per student, 20 points to budget execution, 10 points to education priority and 10 points to transparency.
The report indicated that Kano excelled largely due to its strong actual education spending and budget execution, making it the best-performing sub-national government in the region.
The ranking covered states, regions, districts and municipalities across Nigeria, Senegal, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
Kano State Accountability Forum on Education (K-SAFE) said the recognition reflects Kano State Government’s sustained investment in expanding access to education, improving school infrastructure and strengthening educational planning and budget implementation.
KANO FOCUS reports that the achievement is expected to further boost the state’s profile as a leader in education reform within West Africa and provide additional momentum for ongoing efforts to improve learning outcomes across the state.
The latest ranking comes amid renewed attention on education financing across ECOWAS, with experts increasingly emphasising transparent budgeting, efficient resource utilisation and sustained public investment as critical drivers of quality education.
Gov. Yusuf appoints Dr. Aminu Magashi co-chair of Kano anti-drug abuse task force
Gov. Yusuf tasks media on truthful reporting, patriotism
Kano launches free 48-hour emergency treatment scheme for accident victims, other critical cases
K-SAFE hails Gov. Yusuf as Kano tops ECOWAS education spending ranking
Abdulaziz unveils project inspection initiative, trains APC social media inflluencers at Arewa media summit
Kano ranks best in ECOWAS on education spending index
Kano recruits over 16,000 teachers, begins 10-year education reform plan
Kano emerges top beneficiary as World Bank rewards states with $27m for reforms
Kano delegation participates in international labour conference in Geneva
