Headlines
Sheikh Tijjani Kalarawi raises concern over increasing cost of Hajj fares
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
A renowned Islamic scholar Sheikh Tijjani Bala Kalarawi has lamented the astronomical rise in Hajj rate.
KANO FOCUS reports that Sheikh Kalarawi was speaking in an interview on Thursday with journalists at the Holy City of Makka, Saudi Arabia.
It would be recalled that this year’s pilgrimage was of the most costliest in recent times going by the rate in which hard currency were bought which was beyond human decency.
The cost of the spiritual exercise via State Pilgrims Welfare Board this year stood at N2.9 while through private airline operators was N4 million.
The charges entails flight, accommodation, logistics and Basic Travel Allowance BTA.
Sheikh Tijjani Bala Kalarawi called on federal government to reduce the rate in order to make it affordable for commoners among the ummah
He observed that the increasing cost of the exercise, has by and large made it financially impractical for many faithful to do so
He recalled with nostalgia the frantic efforts of the previous administrations in minimizing the rate within the reach of the commoners which gave the wider majority the opportunity to fullfil one of the pillars of the holy religion devoid of hitches.
These regimes according to him those of Alhaji Shehu Shagari (1,500) Maj. Gen. Muhammad Buhari (N4,000) Gen. Sani Abacha (N50,000).
According to him late Muhammad Adamu Dankabo through his Airline, Kabo Air, out of his gesture, used to give pilgrims 100kg main luggage and 20kg hand luggage upon their return from Saudi Arabia.
Sheikh Tijjani Bala Kalarawi however asked pilgrims to pray for divine intervention on the increasing cost of the rate aimed at ensuring kindness, equality, loveliness, tranquility and above all justice and fairness
Sheikh Kalarawi who served as Chairman of the state pilgrims outfit during the reign of Air Commodore Hamza Abdullahi of blessed memory and Architect Kabiru Gaya, recalled how they introduced special classes for intenders (Bita) to make them abreast with basic rudiments of the religious exercise.
Meanwhile the Chairman of Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board Alhaji Yusuf Lawan has pledged to present the demand of reviewing the fares before Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf for onward submission to President Bola Ahmad Tinubu.
Lawan who said Hajj as one of the five pillars of Islam, has immense spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide called on those that have the means in the midst of the society not to be left out in fulfilling the obligation in view of its lofty reward
The Chairman who attributed the high cost of observing the rite to depreciating value of Naira, expressed delight with the arrangement made by National Hajj Commission’of Nigeria with Saudi Authorities to make the transaction in Dollars without difficulties.
He expressed optimism that President Bola Ahmad Tinubu will consider the request and review the rate being a responsible and concern leader.
Kano Airlifts 4112, pilgrims home in 8 flights
Kano State Pilgrims Welfare Board has so far airlifted 4,112 pilgrims back home in 8 flights.
The ninth flight with Kano contingents is expected to leave King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah to Malam Aminu Kano International Airport on Friday.
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.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
Kano State has emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the World Bank-supported HOPE Governance Programme after qualifying for a total of $3.5 million in performance-based incentives for implementing key governance, education and healthcare reforms.
KANO FOCUS reports that the World Bank, through the HOPE Governance Programme domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, approved $27 million in incentives for states that successfully met the Year Zero Disbursement-Linked Results (DLRs).
The National Coordinator of the HOPE Governance Programme, Assad Hassan, announced the incentives on Tuesday in Abuja during a retreat attended by commissioners, permanent secretaries and directors of budget and planning from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
A statement issued by the programme’s Communications Officer, Joe Mutah, said the incentives were based on the recommendations of the Interim Independent Verification Agent, which assessed states’ performance against agreed reform indicators.
Kano ranked among the highest-performing states, qualifying for incentives under three separate reform indicators.
The state will receive $1.5 million under Disbursement-Linked Result (DLR) 2.1 for adopting comprehensive guidelines for the preparation and submission of consolidated work plans for the state basic education budget.
It also qualified for another $1.5 million under DLR 2.2, which recognises states that adopted comprehensive guidelines for consolidated work plans for state primary healthcare budgets.
In addition, Kano secured $500,000 under DLR 2.3 for adopting harmonised budget guidelines and a unified chart of accounts for local governments.
Altogether, the state is expected to receive $3.5 million, making it one of the top-performing states under the programme.
Only five states—Bayelsa, Borno, Kano, Kebbi and Yobe—qualified for both the education and healthcare planning incentives, earning $3 million each from the two indicators alone.
Kano further distinguished itself by qualifying under the local government budgeting reform indicator, increasing its total allocation to $3.5 million.
The state also featured among 15 states that met the requirements under DLR 4.1, which rewards states for publishing their 2025 Citizens Budget for basic education and primary healthcare by February 28, 2025. Each qualifying state under this indicator will receive $500,000.
Other states that qualified under DLR 4.1 are Abia, Bayelsa, Borno, Edo, Ekiti, Enugu, Imo, Jigawa, Kebbi, Kogi, Nasarawa, Ondo, Plateau and Yobe.
According to the programme, the performance-based incentives are designed to encourage states to strengthen governance systems, improve budget transparency and enhance planning in the education and primary healthcare sectors.
KANO FOCUS reports that the HOPE Governance Programme is a World Bank-supported initiative implemented through the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to promote improved public financial management and better service delivery across Nigeria’s states.
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