News
Nasarawa Trade Fair: Dangote Says More Jobs Coming
Ibrahim Khalil
The Dangote Group has assured that its widening business footprint across Nigeria and the rest of Africa is set to yield a significant employment opportunity.
Speaking on its Special Day celebration at the just concluded Nasarawa Trade Fair in the state capital Lafia, Regional Director and Special Adviser to the President of Dangote Group, Fatima Wali-Abdurrahman, said new jobs and new roles are being created as the company expands its investments and scale up its operations across its Strategic Business Units.
Dangote Group is Nigeria’s second largest employer of labour after the Federal Government.
Group President and Chief Executive of the company, Aliko Dangote, noted last week in Lagos, that expanding the Dangote Petroleum Refinery from 650,000 barrels per day to 1.4 million could draw in as many as 95,000 skilled workers at the peak of construction.
Mrs Wali-Abdurrahman, who was represented by the company’s National Assembly Lead, Hon. Shuaibu Abdullahi, said Nasarawa State is home to Dangote’s biggest Backward Integration project in the sugar sector, the Nasarawa Sugar Company Limited (NSCL).
She added that the project’s completion would unlock a new wave of employment, creating expanded opportunities for the people of Nasarawa State and Nigeria.
According to the Regional Director, the conglomerate is expected to generate thousands of direct and indirect jobs from expansion in its key businesses which include: petroleum, fertilizer, cement, agriculture, sugar and salt, among others.
Speaking on the company’s Vision 2030, she said: “The Vision is a commitment to transform Nigeria and Africa from a consumption-based economy into a production-based powerhouse.”
She added: Nasarawa State occupies a strategic position in our long-term investment plans. It is home to Dangote’s Nasarawa Sugar Company Limited (NSCL) in Tunga, which, when completed, will be one of the biggest sugar investments on the African continent.”
Speaking earlier, a Director of Industry and Investment, Ministry of Trade Industry and Investment, Mrs Catherine Bako, said the Nasarawa State Government under Governor Abdullahi Sule has provided the enabling environment for the private sector investors.
According to her, the government has entrenched ease of doing business as its cardinal objective.
The Director of Trade at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment Dr. Ahmed Agbo, told audience at a panel session on the Dangote Special Day that the state has numerous mineral resources that will attract potential investors.
Mr. Agbo said the state would like to partner with the Dangote Group to explore the numerous mineral resources and industrial raw materials.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Small-Scale Industrialist (NASSI), Nidan Sambo Manasseh, said: “The Dangote Vision 2030 is about expansion, scale, and self-sufficiency. In Nasarawa, we are offering something practical to support that vision-a ready environment where large industry can plug into existing raw materials and an emerging SMES base. This is where vision meets opportunity.”
Ibrahim Khalil
The Kano State Police Command has arrested eight suspects in separate operations targeting drug peddling and thuggery in Panshekara and Kunchi/Ghari Local Government Area.
KANO FOCUS reports that the command disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori.
According to the statement, the operations, conducted on September 9, 2026, were part of the command’s intelligence-driven efforts to tackle drug abuse, thuggery and violent crimes across the state.
It said operatives of the Surveillance Team attached to Panshekara Police Division, acting on credible intelligence at about 2:30 p.m., intercepted eight suspects, including a 21-year-old man identified as Samson Yakubu of Samegu Quarters, at a suspected criminal hotspot.
A search of the suspects reportedly led to the recovery of 15 Pregabalin capsules, five Diazepam tablets, 10 Exol tablets and some quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.
The police said the suspects were in custody and undergoing interrogation, while investigations were ongoing to establish the source of the suspected illicit drugs and identify other members of the alleged syndicate.
In a related operation conducted between 1 p.m. and 9 p.m. the same day, operatives of the Kunchi/Ghari Division carried out a coordinated market patrol and raid at Matanfada Market.
The command said the area had been identified as a place where youths allegedly intimidate traders and residents during market sessions.
Five suspects were arrested during the operation. They were identified as Abdullahi Isah of Dustin; Haruna Isah of Daqarawa Village; Habu Badamasi of Dan Taimu Village; Gambo Ya’u of Kura Village; and Abubakar Dahiru of Farau Village.
The police said investigation was ongoing to identify and arrest other suspected accomplices, while exhibits recovered during the operation had been taken into custody as evidence.
CP Bakori commended the operatives for what he described as their professionalism and swift response, assuring residents that the command would sustain its operations against drug abuse, thuggery and other violent crimes.
“In line with the IGP’s policing vision and our mandate to ensure a safe and secure Kano, we will continue to be proactive,” the commissioner said.
“We are sending a clear message to criminal elements that Kano State will not be a breeding ground for their activities.”
The command also appreciated members of the public, community leaders and vigilante groups for providing information that aided the operations.
It urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station.
The command said all suspects would be charged to court after the conclusion of investigations.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The funeral prayer for the late Shehu Kabir Bayero, Barde Kerarriya of Kano and District Head of Dorayi, was held on Thursday evening at Kofar Kudu, Kano Emir’s Palace.
KANO FOCUS reports that the prayer was led by the Chief Imam of Khamsus Salawati Mosque, Kofar Kudu, Malam Bello, and attended by hundreds of people from different parts of Kano State.
Among those who attended were the Secretary to the Kano State Government, Alhaji Umar Faruk; representative of the Emir of Kano, Matawallen Kano, Alhaji Aliyu Ibrahim Matawalle; Chief of Staff to the Kano State Government House, Dr Sani Wali; as well as district heads and members of the Muslim community.
Shehu Kabir Bayero died in a hospital in Egypt following a period of illness. He is survived by his wives, children and other relatives.
Until his death, the late Bayero served as Commissioner of Police in Gombe and Osun states before retiring from the Nigeria Police Force.
Following his retirement, the late Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, appointed him as the Barde Kerarriya of Kano and District Head of Takai Local Government Area after the death of his father, the late Kabir Bayero, an elder brother of the former emir.
He later served as District Head of Gwarzo.
Due to his wealth of experience in security matters, the current Emir of Kano, Khalifa Muhammadu Sanusi II, subsequently reassigned him as District Head of Dorayi, where he was expected to contribute to the sustenance of peace and security in the area.
The late district head was remembered for his service to the state and his experience in security and traditional administration.
May Allah forgive his shortcomings, have mercy on his soul and grant him Jannatul Firdaus. Ameen.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Ministry of Education, with support from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), has held a planning meeting on the implementation and effective utilisation of the Nigeria Learning Passport (NLP) in the state.
KANO FOCUS reports that the meeting brought together relevant stakeholders from various ministries, agencies and development partners working in the education sector.
According to Malam Naziru Sirajo, deputy director EMIS and statistics in the Ministry of Education, the meeting was aimed at reviewing the current status of the Nigeria Learning Passport in Kano and developing a coordinated plan to strengthen its implementation, content utilisation, course completion, monitoring of learners’ progress and certification.
The Nigeria Learning Passport is a digital learning platform designed to provide Nigerian children and young people with access to curriculum-aligned educational content, including lessons, learning materials and assessments.
The platform is also designed to support learning continuity, including for learners facing limited or intermittent internet connectivity, while providing teachers and education stakeholders with digital resources to complement classroom instruction.
In Kano, the initiative is expected to strengthen awareness and utilisation of digital learning, while building the capacity of master trainers and technical teams to support schools, teachers and learners in using the platform effectively.
The effective utilisation of the Nigeria Learning Passport is expected to expand access to quality digital learning resources, promote independent learning, strengthen digital literacy and support improved learning outcomes and greater equity in access to educational opportunities.
Kano Police Arrest Eight in Drug, Thuggery Raids
Funeral Prayer Held for Late Shehu Kabir Bayero
Kano holds planning meeting on implementation of Nigeria learning passport
Kwankwaso, Gov Yusuf, Amnesty International Condemn Killing of Ibrahim Khalil Dan Shagamu
Kano Police arrest two suspects over death of Ibrahim Khalil Danshagamu
Kano State Out-of-School Children Survey Report 2026: From Evidence to Impact — A Roadmap For Educational Development
Kano schools to resume Sunday for 2026/2027 academic session
From Grade Level 03 to Director: A 35-Year Journey of Resilience and Service
Justice Abdullahi Mahmud Bayero of Court of Appeal Dies in Egypt
