Headlines
Dr. Usman’s Book Presentation Sparks National Reflection: Who Truly Owns Nigeria—the People or the Politicians?
By Mukhtar Yahya Usman
Former Minister of Finance and one of Nigeria’s most respected economic minds, Dr. Shamsuddeen Usman, on Saturday presented his latest book *Public Policy and Agent Interest: Perspectives from the Emerging World* to the people of Kano, in a powerful homecoming ceremony hosted at Bayero University Kano (BUK).
Though the book was formally launched in Abuja months earlier, Dr. Usman chose Kano—his birthplace and the foundation of his public service journey—for its first public presentation in Northern Nigeria.
The event gathered dignitaries including Academics, traditional leaders, students, and development professionals.
“This is more than a presentation,” he said in his keynote. “It is my way of returning home—not just with memories, but with ideas that can serve our people.”
From Global Insight to Local Urgency
Dr. Usman, who began his journey in Kano’s Garangamawa quarters and rose to national prominence through key roles at the Federal Ministry of Finance and the National Planning Commission—and who is well-versed in IMF and World Bank policies through years of engagement and participation in high-level meetings—offered a brutally honest diagnosis of Nigeria’s stagnation: a failure of governance rooted in the betrayal of public trust.
He explained the concept of the principal-agent problem—where those entrusted to serve (agents) begin to serve themselves instead, leaving the true owners of the nation (the principals—the people) disillusioned and abandoned.
“This book is about the broken promise between government and citizens. What we call in Hausa, rashin rikon amana.”
Personal Reflections, National Realities
Drawing from his experience as Finance Minister, Dr. Usman recalled efforts to establish the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund—an initiative aimed at securing the country’s oil wealth for future generations—but which faced fierce opposition from those driven by short-term political calculations.
“That fight wasn’t just about economics. It was about values—about choosing between national interest and personal interest.”
This tension between policy and politics, public duty and private gain, he argued, is the central theme of the book and a major factor in Nigeria’s persistent development failures.
The Local Cost of National Failure
Dr. Usman reminded the audience that this is not an abstract theory but a lived reality—especially in places like Kano.
He highlighted the alarming number of out-of-school children, the decay of urban infrastructure, and the collapse of trust in public institutions, especially among young people.
“When our youths see a system that rewards connections over competence, they don’t just lose faith—they lose direction.”
He described this as the greatest cost of the agency problem: not just bad roads or failed schools, but a generation that begins to believe mediocrity and corruption are the norm.
A New Development Bargain: The People Must Rise
Rather than dwell on the failures, Dr. Usman emphasized solutions.
The book, co-authored with renowned contributors including Dr. Yemi Kale and Emir Muhammadu Sanusi II, outlines a four-point development bargain aimed at restoring balance between the people and those in power:
1. Demand transparency – Citizens must insist on public access to data and government spending.
2. Challenge vested interests – Society must defend honest leaders and confront those who exploit the system.
3. Rebuild the social contract – Citizens must perform civic duties and demand quality services in return.
4. Engage actively – Everyone must act, speak, or at least reject injustice with their hearts.
He invoked a prophetic Hadith as a moral compass:
“If you see evil, change it with your hand. If not, speak out. If not, reject it in your heart—that is the weakest of faith.”
A Foundation for the Future
The event also marked the public announcement of the Shamsuddeen Usman Foundation, established by his children and focused on education, health, and information technology.
“We cannot just criticize the past—we must build the future. That is why this Foundation exists: to give our children the tools to lead.”
More Than a Book, a Call to Action
Dr. Usman closed by stressing that Public Policy and Agent Interest is not an academic exercise—it is a civic manual for ordinary Nigerians to understand their power, reclaim their role, and demand better governance.
“This book is for you. It is a guide to demand the accountability and dignity every Nigerian deserves. Let us work together to mend this broken promise.”
As the applause resounded through the halls of BUK, the message was unmistakable: Nigeria’s destiny will not be shaped by its agents, but by the renewed resolve of its true owners—the people.
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.
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