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Buhari, Ganduje mourn Dr Ibrahim Datti Ahmad
Nasiru Yusuf
President Muhammadu Buhari mourns renowned urologist and a doyen of private medical healthcare in Kano, Ibrahim Datti Ahmed. He was a friend to the late Head of State General Murtala Mohammed.
KANO FOCUS reports that late Ahmad was the founder of Asmau Memorial Hospital, now renamed Abubakar Imam Urology Centre in Kano and served as the Chairman of the Shari’a Council of Nigeria.
In a tribute to the late Doctor and politician who once ran as a Presidential Candidate, the President described him as a man blessed with immense wisdom.
“Dr. Datti was at the forefront in providing healthcare to the poor and the needy. His divine teachings and selfless contribution towards the welfare of society will not be forgotten. He will be remembered for his noble service to society,” said President Buhari.
The President said the nation is with the family of the deceased, the Kano Emirate Council as well as the government and people of Kano State as they mourn the doctor, politician and religious leader.
We lost a truly great Nigerian – Ganduje
Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has described the death of Ibrahim Datti Ahmad as a great loss for not only Kano or Nigeria, but to black race across the globe.
A former President of Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria and a Presidential Aspirant of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), Ahmad, according to the governor “Was an embodiment of righteousness, discipline, hard work, commitment and patriotism.”
“The death is for the entire black race across the globe. Here was a man who stood firmly for the education of our people, who travelled far and wide in search of education and helped shape our education system.
“His political participation brought about decorum in our political landscape.
“On behalf of the government and people of Kano state, I am sending our condolences to the immediate families of this rare gem, whose upbringing was reflected in his own family. He raised very decent, committed and God-fearing family.”
He prayed that, “May Almighty Allah save his face from hellfire. May Allah Forgive all his shortcomings and reward his good deeds with Jannatul Fiddaus, ameen.”
The governor urged all his family members to strive hard and follow his footsteps.
Late Ibrahim Datti Ahmad
Born in 1936 in Kano, late Ahmad died in the early hours of Thursday at the age of 83 after a protracted illness
He attended Barewa College, Zaria, before he obtained a degree in medicine at the University of Ibadan.
He was the second person to become a medical doctor from old Kano state. His hospital Asma’u memorial is the first private hospital in Kano state.
He was the pro chancellor and chairman of the governing council of the then University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife).
He was the President-General of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria (SCSN), a focal Islamic religious institution that deals with Sharia in Nigeria.
Former president Goodluck Jonathan had once appointed him to intermediate with Boko Haram on behalf of the federal government before he opted out due to alleged government insincerity.
A renowned medical doctor, politician and Islamic cleric, late Ahmad is survived by a wife and 10 children.
His funeral prayer was conducted at the Alfurqan Mosque in Kano before he was buried at Farm Centre graveyard in the Kano metropolis.
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.
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.
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