Ibrahim Khalil

The Chief Imam of Nagazi-Uvete Jumu’ah Mosque and the late Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Okene’s Mosque in Okene, Kogi State, Sheikh Murtadha Muhammad Gusau, has cautioned Muslims against allowing football and other forms of entertainment to distract them from the primary purpose of their existence, which he said is the worship of Allah.

Delivering his Friday sermon titled, FIFA World Cup Match: Allah Did Not Create Us, The Universe, For Idle Sport, Amusement, Or Play!, the cleric reminded Muslims that while Islam permits lawful recreation, it must never overshadow religious obligations or become the central focus of a believer’s life.

Quoting several verses from the Qur’an, Imam Gusau said Allah created mankind for a clear purpose and not for amusement or idle pursuits.

He cited Qur’anic passages, including Surah Al-Anbiya (21:16), Surah Al-Mu’minun (23:115), and Surah Adh-Dhariyat (51:56), to emphasise that the ultimate purpose of human existence is to worship Allah and prepare for the Hereafter.

The Islamic scholar explained that recreation is permissible in Islam when it helps refresh the mind and body for acts of worship and productive living. He referenced traditions of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), including his encouragement of archery and his tolerance of lawful sporting activities.

However, the cleric expressed concern over what he described as the commercialisation and globalisation of football, arguing that modern international competitions have evolved beyond sport into massive economic and ideological enterprises.

According to him, major tournaments are driven by powerful commercial interests involving broadcasting rights, sponsorships and advertising, which, he said, often promote values inconsistent with Islamic teachings.

Imam Gusau warned that excessive devotion to football clubs and players could lead to misplaced priorities, personality worship and unhealthy fanaticism.

He lamented that many young people now regard footballers as their greatest role models while neglecting scholars, innovators and other individuals whose contributions are more beneficial to society.

The cleric also criticised the promotion of gambling, alcohol advertising and other practices associated with some international sporting events, urging Muslims to remain vigilant and uphold Islamic values.

While acknowledging that physical exercise and sports are beneficial, he stressed that Muslims should engage in them within the limits prescribed by Islam and without neglecting obligatory acts of worship.

He called on Muslim youths to balance recreation with their religious and social responsibilities, urging them not to allow entertainment to define their lives or distract them from their ultimate purpose.

Imam Gusau concluded the sermon with prayers for peace, righteous leadership, the protection of Muslim communities worldwide, and relief for oppressed people, particularly those in Gaza.

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.