News
Tanzania seeks more Dangote investments in fertiliser, energy, infrastructure
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Tanzanian government has expressed interest in attracting more investments from Dangote Group in fertiliser production, energy and industrial infrastructure as part of efforts to accelerate the country’s long-term economic development.
KANO FOCUS reports that the Minister of State in the President’s Office responsible for Planning and Investment, Prof. Kitila A. Mkumbo, disclosed this during a visit by a Tanzanian delegation to the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals in Lagos.
Mr Mkumbo said the visit was part of efforts to follow up on discussions between Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the President and Chief Executive Officer of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, on expanding the company’s investment footprint in Tanzania.
He noted that Dangote Group already operates Tanzania’s largest cement manufacturing plant, with an investment estimated at about $800 million.
“We have come here to make a follow-up on what they deliberated with our President in terms of further Dangote investments in Tanzania,” Mr Mkumbo said.
He said Tanzania was particularly interested in Dangote Group’s experience in fertiliser production and refinery operations, describing the company’s industrial capabilities as valuable to Africa’s economic transformation.
### ‘Africa needs economic liberation’
The minister said stronger collaboration between Tanzania and Dangote Group would also contribute to greater economic integration across Africa under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
He said African countries had maintained strong political relations for decades but must now prioritise economic integration through industrialisation.
“Africa now needs economic liberation, and that can only come through industrialisation,” he said.
Mr Mkumbo described Mr Dangote as one of Africa’s leading industrialists, noting that his investments were increasingly expanding beyond Nigeria and contributing to industrial development across the continent.
He said Tanzania was ready to work with the Dangote Group as part of efforts to promote Pan-African industrialisation and expand manufacturing capacity across the region.
### Tanzania highlights refining capacity
The minister also stressed the importance of increasing local refining capacity to strengthen Africa’s energy security, particularly amid disruptions in the international oil market.
He referred to the impact of tensions around the Strait of Hormuz on global fuel prices, saying increased refining capacity through facilities such as the Dangote Petroleum Refinery could help African economies reduce their vulnerability to external shocks.
According to him, access to affordable and reliable energy remains a major driver of economic growth.
He said expanding refining capacity across Africa would help reduce energy costs, strengthen energy security and improve living conditions for millions of people.
The Tanzanian delegation’s visit is part of continuing engagements between the country’s government and Dangote Group to explore new opportunities for strategic investments, industrial development and regional economic integration.
Suspect returned to Kano to face investigation, prosecution
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Multi-Agency Task Force on Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking has arrested a suspected gang leader and sponsor, Ishaq Lawan Ibrahim, popularly known as Malam Keya, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
KANO FOCUS reports that the 27-year-old suspect, from Yelwa in Dala Local Government Area of Kano State, is accused of sponsoring violent gang clashes that have claimed lives and heightened insecurity in parts of the state.
The task force disclosed this in a statement, saying the suspect was arrested following intelligence-led operations after allegedly fleeing Kano as security operations against gang violence intensified.
According to the statement, operatives tracked him to Port Harcourt and arrested him in an operation led by the task force’s Head of Operations, CSP Bashir Gwadabe. He has since been returned to Kano.
The task force alleged that Malam Keya played a leading role in orchestrating and financing hoodlums involved in violent attacks in Dala and other affected communities.
The areas reportedly affected by the gang violence include Jakara, Madigawa, Yalwa, Sanka, Kul Kul, Dogon Nama, Kukar Bulukiya, Dala, Shatsari and Dandalin Turawa.
Confirming the arrest, the task force chairman, Barr Muhuyi Magaji Rimin Gado, said the operation demonstrated the agency’s determination to pursue suspected sponsors of violence beyond Kano State.
“Let me assure you that those who bankroll violence should know that no distance, and no hiding place, will protect them. This arrest is only the beginning. We will not rest until peace is fully restored,” he said.
The task force said the suspect remained in custody for further investigation and would be prosecuted upon the conclusion of the investigation.
It added that its operations would continue in accordance with the law, with all suspects entitled to due process.
The agency also pledged to sustain efforts to dismantle criminal gangs, identify their alleged sponsors and disrupt drug supply networks linked to criminal activities.
It urged residents, community and religious leaders, parents and youths to support security efforts by reporting suspicious persons and activities, monitoring their neighbourhoods and discouraging young people from being recruited into criminal gangs.
The task force described public cooperation as essential to restoring peace and security across the state.
It also acknowledged the support of the Kano and Rivers state police commands and other law enforcement agencies in the operation.
Ibrahim Khalil
The Kano State Small Towns Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (KASSTOWA) has strengthened security at Joda Waterworks to prevent vandalism, theft and unauthorised access to the facility.
KANO FOCUS reports that the agency disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, following an assessment visit to the waterworks by its interim managing director to evaluate the security situation.
According to the statement, additional security personnel have been deployed to protect the facility and ensure uninterrupted water supply.
The agency said the measure was part of efforts to safeguard critical water infrastructure and protect public assets from potential threats.
It added that the intervention aligned with the commitment of the administration of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to protecting government facilities and ensuring the delivery of essential services, in collaboration with the state’s Ministry of Water Resources.
KASSTOWA also emphasised the importance of inter-agency collaboration in strengthening infrastructure protection.
The agency called on community leaders, traditional institutions, youth organisations and residents to remain vigilant, report suspicious activities and cooperate with security personnel deployed to the facility.
It stressed that protecting water infrastructure was a shared responsibility requiring the cooperation of government agencies and host communities.
Nasiru Yusuf Ibrahim
The Kano State Police Command has foiled an alleged kidnapping plot in Gezawa Local Government Area and arrested two 20-year-old suspects over threats to abduct a village head.
KANO FOCUS reports that the suspects, identified as Aliyu Naziru Garba and Bashir Alhasan, were arrested following intelligence-led operations by police operatives attached to the Gezawa Divisional Police Headquarters.
The command disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday by its spokesperson, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa.
According to the statement, the incident was reported on October 26, 2026, at about 1:30 a.m. by the village head of Bangare, Mallam Idris, who told the police that he had received a threatening phone call from an unidentified person on October 24 at about 9:33 p.m.
The caller allegedly threatened to kidnap him.
Following the report, police operatives launched a follow-up operation, which led to the arrest of the two suspects.
“The suspects have confessed to the commission of the crime,” the statement said, adding that investigations were ongoing and the suspects would be charged to court upon completion.
The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, commended officers of the Gezawa Division for their swift and professional response.
Bakori reiterated the command’s zero-tolerance stance on criminal activities and said the operation aligned with the policing vision of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, which prioritises intelligence-led and technology-driven policing, professionalism and proactive crime prevention.
The police urged residents to remain vigilant and report suspicious persons or movements to the nearest police station.
The command also provided the following emergency contact numbers for reporting security concerns: 08032419754, 08123821575 and 09029292926.
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Kano water agency strengthens security at Joda waterworks
Kano Police foil kidnap plot, arrest two suspects in Gezawa
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