Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

About 40 per cent of youths under the age of 30 in Kano State are currently unemployed, a situation that has significantly contributed to rising cases of irregular migration among young people in the state.

KANO FOCUS reports that the Project Manager of the Resilient Opportunities for Outreach Trade and Sustainability (ROOTS) project, Halima Kasim Usman, disclosed this on Tuesday during a one-day training for journalists on reporting the dangers of irregular migration. The project is implemented by the Adolescent Health and Information Project (AHIP).

Usman explained that recent statistics show that about 65 per cent of Kano State’s population is under the age of 30, with nearly 40 per cent of them unemployed. She noted that the unemployment crisis has driven many youths to seek greener pastures through irregular migration routes.

According to her, no fewer than 20,000 irregular migrants were deported back to Kano State from various countries between 2017 and 2022.

“This alarming trend has fueled massive irregular migration among youths in search of better opportunities abroad,” she said.

Usman stated that the ROOTS project is designed to address the challenge by engaging returnees through skills acquisition, empowerment programmes and linkage to funding opportunities to enable them access tools and resources for their respective trades.

She, however, expressed concern over the poor implementation of the National Action Plan on Gender and Climate Change and other related intervention programmes, stressing that effective implementation would help address some of the root causes of migration.

The ROOTS project manager also called on the media to intensify efforts at discouraging irregular migration by enlightening the public on the importance of following regular migration procedures in line with the ECOWAS protocol on free movement.

In her opening remarks, the Executive Director of AHIP, Dr. Mairo Bello, said the training was organised to engage the media as critical stakeholders in achieving the objectives of the ROOTS project.

She described journalists as key partners in addressing irregular migration, noting that through investigative reporting, news stories and educational programmes, the media can enlighten women and youths on the dangers of leaving their families in pursuit of often unattainable opportunities abroad.

Dr. Bello explained that the project focuses on returnees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), with the aim of reintegrating them into society and making them self-reliant. She added that many returnees face stigma and rejection after returning home, which further complicates their reintegration.

Delivering a paper titled “Media’s Role in Preventing Irregular Migration,” the facilitator, Comrade Abbas Ibrahim, described migration as a global phenomenon with serious social, economic and security implications when undertaken irregularly.

He identified poverty, unemployment, conflict, insecurity, lack of awareness and false promises as major drivers of irregular migration, stressing that the media has enormous power to shape public opinion and influence decisions due to its wide reach.

Some participants, including Zainab Maiagogo, Mustapha Salisu, Nazifi Bala, Sani Garko and Safiyya Usman, described the training as timely and commended AHIP and its partners for the initiative, saying it would enhance responsible reporting on migration issues.

KANO FOCUS reports that the ROOTS project is implemented by AHIP in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), with support from the European Union (EU), and support to Free Movement of Persons and Migration in West Africa-Phase II (FM West Africa II) Program.

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

The Kano State Hospitals Management Board has issued a stern warning to all Chief Medical Directors (CMDs) and Zonal Directors across the state’s 16 health zones, directing them to ensure immediate and sustained compliance with minimum operational and clinical standards in all state-owned health facilities.

KANO FOCUS reports that the directive, signed by the Executive Secretary of the Board, Dr. Mansur Mudi Nagoda, follows reports of persistent gaps in service delivery, clinical governance, patient safety practices and administrative compliance in some hospitals and zones.

According to the statement, the Board stressed that in line with its mandate to ensure quality, safe, ethical and patient-centred healthcare delivery, all hospital managers must urgently address identified shortcomings or face disciplinary measures.

Dr. Nagoda directed that all service points must be equipped with essential and functional medical equipment at all times, noting that faulty or non-functional equipment must be promptly reported and documented for immediate corrective action.

He also ordered that all hospital theatres must have clearly displayed, updated and approved Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), which must be strictly adhered to by all theatre staff.

On clinical governance, the Board mandated monthly clinical audits of all deaths and critical incidents, with proper documentation and review by facility management teams. Such reports, the statement said, must be readily available for inspection and submission when required.

The Board further directed that complaint and suggestion boxes be installed at visible locations in all facilities, regularly emptied, reviewed and acted upon, with feedback mechanisms put in place. SERVICOM desks are also to be fully reactivated to provide guidance and redress for patients, particularly the vulnerable and underserved.

Emphasising patient rights, the Board warned that informed consent must be obtained and properly documented before any medical procedure or intervention, where applicable.

Dr. Nagoda also announced that executive and supportive supervision would commence shortly, urging all departments to ensure that duty rosters, staff attendance registers and service schedules are up to date and readily available.

On staff discipline, the Board warned that absenteeism, lateness and abandonment of duty would not be tolerated, stressing that strict adherence to official working hours is mandatory.

The statement further highlighted the need for proper documentation and accurate medical records, describing poor documentation as professional negligence. It also underscored strict implementation of Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) protocols, including cleanliness of wards, theatres, laboratories and public areas, as well as mandatory availability and use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

In addition, the Board directed that essential drugs and consumables be properly stored, accounted for and dispensed in line with laid-down procedures, with accurate and up-to-date stock records.

Staff were equally reminded to uphold professional conduct and ethics in line with civil service rules and patient rights, warning that any form of abuse, extortion or unethical behaviour would attract severe sanctions.

The Board also drew attention to the proper documentation of utilisation registers for free maternity services, noting that free maternity items and services would be inspected and that any discrepancies or falsification of records would lead to disciplinary action.

“All the above instructions must be complied with without exception,” the statement warned, adding that failure to comply would attract appropriate administrative and disciplinary actions in line with extant civil service rules and regulations.

The Board urged all CMDs and Zonal Directors to treat the directive with the seriousness and urgency it deserves, as part of ongoing efforts to improve healthcare service delivery across Kano State.

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim

Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has approved the sponsorship of the bereaved father of the six children and their mother who were killed in the Chiranci Dorayi area of Kano for Hajj and Umrah, alongside the provision of a new house and full welfare support.

KANO FOCUS reports that the approval was contained in a statement signed on Wednesday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.

Governor Yusuf announced the intervention during a condolence visit to the affected family, where he expressed deep sympathy over the tragic incident and assured them of the Kano State Government’s continued support.

As part of efforts to rehabilitate the bereaved father and restore his social life, the Governor directed that a new and befitting house be provided for him. He further assured that the state government would take full responsibility for his welfare and support him to remarry, should he find a suitable life partner, while also covering all necessary requirements to enable him restart his life.

On the pursuit of justice, Governor Yusuf directed the Kano State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice to fast-track the prosecution of suspects already arrested in connection with the killings. He assured that all those found culpable would be prosecuted to ensure justice is served.

The Governor also pledged that he would sign the death warrant for any convict found guilty in the Chiranci Dorayi killings, adding that the same measure would apply to the killers of Hanifa and the Gezawa arsonists who set many people ablaze, once duly convicted by the courts.

He commended the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies for their collaboration and swift action that led to the arrest of the suspects.

In appreciation of the government’s intervention, the bereaved father donated his personal house to the Kano State Government for the construction of an Islamiyya school to serve the community.

Governor Yusuf concluded the visit by praying for Almighty Allah to grant the deceased eternal rest and to give their families, as well as the people of Kano State, patience and lasting peace.

In a related development, the Governor also paid a condolence visit to the family of the late Dr. Bature AbdulAziz, President of the National Patriotic Elders Forum for Peace and Unity. He described the late Dr. AbdulAziz as a patriotic elder and peace advocate whose contributions to national unity and development would be remembered, while praying for Allah to forgive his shortcomings and grant him Aljannatul Firdaus.

The Governor equally visited Baba Umar, Executive Secretary of the Kano State Private and Voluntary Schools Board, to commiserate with him over the death of his mother.