Headlines
Emir Bayero commissions KMC-KAYI microfinance headquarters in Kano

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, Thursday launched KMC-KAYI APP of the KMC Microfinance with the aim of re-shaping financial transactions and access to financial services in the society.
KANO FOCUS reports that the APP is also poised to cater for the “unbanked and underbanked segments of the society, ensuring access to financial services that were previously out of reach.”

According to the Product Lead of the KMC- KAYI APP, Abdulganiyu Rufa’i, the device also caters for the diaspora community,”offering cut-edge cross-border payment solutions and providing modern banking solutions for urban professionals.”
Rufa’i said with the bank’s cuting-egde ML server architecture, KMC-KAYI ensures lightening-fast transactions that allows customers to send and receive money “with unparalleled speed and reliability.”
“KMC-KAYI is not just the future of finance;it is where innovation meets accessibility, and where security meets convenience,” the Lead said.
Launching the APP, the Emir of Kano Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero commended the owners of the outfit, adding that the device would enhance the growth and development of the economy of Kano State in particular and Nigeria in general.
He said Kano being the nation’s centre of commerce deserved more of such facilities as the KMC-KAYI APP that would support small businesses and other services.
He said the APP would help in overcoming the current financial inclusion challenges in the society by creating viable channels “through which the unbanked could be financially engaged.”
Emir Bayero also expressed delight at the commencement of a nationwide recruitment of young graduates by the KMC Microfinance Bank in each of Nigeria’s over eight thousand wards with over 1,000 young male and female graduates employed in Kano, Katsina, Jigawa and Kaduna states.
He implored members of the Kano business community to seize the opportunity and patronize the APP in their business and trading undertakings.
Dignitaries who graced the occasion included the Emir of Bichi, Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero, Business mogul, Alhaji Aminu Dantata, who was represented by his son, Alhaji Tajuddeen Aminu Dantata, and other members of the Kano business community.

Headlines
Governor Yusuf Signs Laws Establishing Four New Agencies in Kano

Mukhtar Yahya Usman
Kano State Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, has signed into law four landmark bills that establish new agencies designed to strengthen institutional frameworks and accelerate sustainable development across the state.
The announcement was made in a statement issued on Thursday by the Governor’s spokesperson, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.
The newly signed laws provide for the establishment of the following agencies:
1. Kano State Protection Agency (KASPA)

2. Kano State Signage and
Advertisement Agency (KASIAA)
3. Kano State Information and Communication Technologies Development Agency (KASITDA)
4. Kano State Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (KASMEDA)
These laws, which are now part of the Kano State legal framework, are expected to stimulate innovation, support small businesses, regulate signage and advertising, and enhance public protection and service delivery.
Governor Yusuf described the signing as a significant step toward realizing his administration’s vision of a modern, inclusive, and economically vibrant Kano.
He emphasized that the new agencies will play a crucial role in job creation, investment attraction, and the efficient implementation of government initiatives.
“Our mission is to lay a solid foundation for a greater Kano. These laws go beyond policy — they are key instruments of transformation that will help drive our development agenda,” the Governor stated.
He also issued a strong warning that violations of the provisions of these laws will be met with strict penalties, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring compliance.
The establishment of these agencies reflects Governor Yusuf’s continued efforts to reform public institutions, improve governance, and position Kano as a leading center for innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainable growth.

Headlines
UTME: Kano suspends end of month sanitation exercise

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
In a bid to ensure the smooth conduct of the ongoing Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination, the Kano State Government has temporarily suspended the April 2025, End of month sanitation exercise.
KANO FOCUS reports that this decision was taken after careful consideration and consultation with relevant stakeholders, in an effort to allow students of Kano State to write their examination without any hitches.

In a statement issued by the Director Public Enlightenment of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Ismail Garba Gwammaja has quoted the Commissioner of Environment and Climate Change Dr. Dahiru M. Hashim saying that:
“The suspension is aimed at preventing any potential disruptions to the examination process and ensuring that candidates can sit for their exams without any hindrance.”
The Commissioner assured residents that the suspension is temporary for this month, and that the sanitation exercise will resume in its full force next month May 2025, in the state.
The Commissioner however, appeals to residents to cooperate with the authorities and understand the rationale behind this decision.
“We are committed to maintaining a clean and healthy environment, and we will work tirelessly to ensure that our sanitation activities do not conflict with other important events in the state,” the commissioner said.
While Commending the residents for their understanding and cooperation to the present administration, urged them to continue to avoid indiscriminate dumping of waste and cooperates with our sanitation staff to ensure clean and healthy environment always, and pray for the successful conduct of students who will sit for the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

Headlines
ACF inaugurates security committee in Kano

Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Chapter of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has inaugurated a security committee aimed at strengthening community-based responses to insecurity in the state and wider northern region.
KANO FOCUS reports that the committee was inaugurated on Tuesday at the ACF Secretariat by the Chairman of the ACF Board of Trustees in Kano State, Brigadier General Haliru Akilu (Rtd), who said the initiative was a strategic response to Nigeria’s growing security challenges.


Gen. Halliru Akilu inaugurating Gen. Idris Bello Dambazau while Dr Goni Faruk Umar is watching
Akilu described the committee as a platform for strategic engagement, grassroots intervention, and policy articulation to support formal security institutions.
“This committee is envisioned to serve as a fulcrum of strategic engagement and community-driven security intervention. It symbolizes our collective resolve to restore order and peace to our communities,” he said.
He noted that the committee draws membership from various security and paramilitary agencies including the NDLEA, Police, Hisbah, Civil Defence, FRSC, NAPTIP, and vigilante groups.

Gen. Halliru Akilu delivering his address
According to him, the committee is tasked with assessing the evolving security landscape in Kano and beyond, acting as a bridge between citizens and security agencies, and developing actionable, data-driven recommendations to promote peace, vigilance and resilience across ethnic, religious, and political divides.
General Akilu stressed that the committee must operate beyond bureaucratic routines and ensure its insights influence national policy. He also urged members to demonstrate integrity, confidentiality, and dedication.
Chairman of the committee, General Idris Bello Dambazau (Rtd), pledged to uphold the mandate of the committee with seriousness and discipline.

Gen. Idris Bello Dambazau (Rtd) granting interview to journalists
“We’re bringing the seriousness of military service into this assignment. Time in service is life. One minute can cost lives. That’s how seriously we’re taking this task,” he said, adding that the committee was set to begin work immediately.
On his part, the NDLEA Commander in Kano, Ahmed Idris, commended the synergy among security agencies in the state and expressed optimism that the ACF’s initiative would serve as a model for other states.

Cross section of members of the security committee
“In Kano, we’ve built a strong culture of collaboration. This committee reflects that spirit and the quality of its membership shows the seriousness of the ACF,” he said.
KANO FOCUS reports that the initiative comes as Kano and other northern states are facing security threats such as banditry, kidnapping, drug abuse, and youth radicalization. Observers say the ACF’s grassroots-focused approach could offer a much-needed complement to conventional security responses.

Gen. Halliru Akilu (rtd) inaugurating Gen. Idris Bello Dambazau (rtd)
Speakers at the event called for similar committees to be replicated across other states in the region, with hopes that the Kano model would become a blueprint for wider regional intervention.

Members of the security committee and ACF officials
General Akilu closed the event with a call for the committee to chart a new course for peace and security in the region, describing the inauguration as “a bold first step.”
