04:35 GMT 21st December 2011
In order to make sure that illiteracy is reduced, this government not only supports free education, we have gone a step further by providing lunch and uniforms free of charge. We have also established a number of new schools and rehabilitated many others. We established Kano University of Technology in addition to other tertiary institutions in the state in order to accommodate our ever increasing secondary school
leavers.
We have additionally set up a programme called Agency for Mass Illiteracy Education that targets adults. So we are working very hard for everyone to go to school and for everyone to get a job.
My administration also offers free antenatal services in all our general hospitals to ensure that no women should lose their lives or their baby because they cannot afford medical fees.
We are also pursuing policies to counter climate change. For example, we are the first state in the country that started tree planting, creating gardens, beautifying our environment and making sure the streets are clean.
I am happy to say that people are positively responding to all this and there is a sense of orderliness everywhere. Even the Okada [commercial bike operators] riders are more respectful and people are paying their taxes. Taxes are part of the social contract- people don't mind paying them if they get value for money. But if they think people are going to steal their hard earned cash, they will be reluctant to perform this vital civic duty.
This government is wary about spending public funds without accountability. Rather than create a security vote, for example, which is open to corruption, we are using every fund at our disposal to make life meaningful for the citizenry, young or old and irrespective of political or religious affiliation. I remember in 2003 during the presidential and gubernatorial elections, the security agencies requested for money for logistics. For some reason, we were not able to utilise the whole amount but returned it to the state coffers.
Kano was known as one of the key industrial hubs in Nigeria, what are you doing to restore this lost glory?
There has been renewed confidence about this since the inception of this administration. We are working very hard to sort out the energy problem because without a regular supply industrialisation cannot take off. Therefore, we are working with Power Holdings to improve the situation.
We are also maintaining security- you can move around Kano without fear of being molested. As a government, we know that we cannot attract industry if people feel unsafe.
A few weeks ago, I had a meeting with thousands of Kano indigens in Abuja. It was a good meeting - it seems everybody is coming home to contribute to restoring the state's former glory. One of them is Aliko Dangote [owner of Dangote Group]. In our recent mobilisation for poverty alleviation, he denoted [$3,870] for women and young men to start businesses. I am illustrating the level of confidence that people have in us. Even people from neighbouring states are travelling to Kano for business. So I think things are beginning to change for the better and will continue to go that way.
What has Kano to offer the foreign investors?
Recently we hosted businessmen and women from all over the world exploring areas of potential investment. The French foreign minister [Alain Juppe] also visited the country to discuss business opportunities in Nigeria and Kano in particular. When people arrive here we give them all the support they require. Suffice to say, we are improving infrastructure to turn Kano into an investment haven. We have set up a committee to look into the issue of the Dry Port and Export Processing Zone to enable investors to operate more effectively.
We are trying to sort out the problem of the airport. Quite a number of airlines that once flew to Kano have now relocated to Abuja, perhaps because of proximity. We are working very hard with the airlines, the ministry of aviation and stakeholders to improve things. We don't want a situation where you fly over Kano, land the goods and take them to Kano by road. That does not help economically and also destroys our roads. So we are dealing with the problem and the future looks promising.
What is the state's investment potential?
In so far as agriculture is concerned, we have done a great deal. Agriculture drives the economy of this state and we are empowering our people to be the best farmers they can ever be. We are also allocating crops to certain zones to help maximise yields. Kano is known for its good irrigation system and its tomato produce. We are working with the central bank, the ministry of agriculture and international and local entrepreneurs to further support this. A company has been given hectares of land in the centre of the irrigation scheme to set up a tomato factory.
Kano is also famous for its ground nut and we have expanded the cottage industry around this. Wheat is another important crop. It was doing very well in Kano until the government lifted the ban on importation of wheat and flooded the market with wheat from America and Asia. Farmers began abandoning the crop but its potential remains indisputable. Other areas we want to develop include rice, the medicinal plant muringa, and jatropha for the production of biofuel. Investors should take note of the fact that Kano State has a huge population of 15 million and is also a trading hub for countries like Niger, Chad and the rest of the West Africa region.
The history of Northern Nigeria cannot be completed without mention of Kano State. Does it still occupy that position?
Kano State remains critical in terms of Nigeria as a whole. We are trying to maintain that leadership, especially here in the North, and to ensure that Kano maintains its rightful position.
It is generally said that the insecurity in the state is as a result of unemployment. How are you targeting this problem?
We are in the process of establishing 18 institutions to help youngsters go into business. They include the Kano Entrepreneurial Development Institute, the Kano Film Institute, Kano Livestock Institute, the Kano Fishery Institute and the Kano Hospitality Institute. The animal farm mechanisation and informatics have already started. These are all part of government-concerted efforts to get the youth to channel their energies into more profitable ventures.
What are you doing to exploit the state's rich cultural heritage to attract international tourism?
Our Hospitality and Tourism Institute has the responsibility to create an enabling environment to attract not only foreign but local tourists. We are establishing the infrastructural facilities to help the sector thrive. Apart from this, our traditional festivals like kalankwa represent a rich cultural heritage. Our durbar is also a fantastic and colourful spectacle. Kano is one of Africa's ancient cities and is famous for historical sites like the dye pit and will help make the state as a whole more visible on the world tourist map.
Do you believe you will have achieved your vision at the end of your four-year term?
Government is continuous and we are hoping that in the next four years or so we should be able to do our best. We also hope that the ruling party PDP will be returned to power as a result of its people-oriented, wealth-creation programmes.
In what capacity would you like to serve if you were given the opportunity to serve this country again?
I was a civil servant for 1 7 years. I retired in 1991 when I was elected a member of House of Representative, and became deputy speaker in the House during the Third Republic. I became delegate to the constitutional conference between 1994 and 1995, the basis on which we wrote the foundation of the 1999 constitution. After that I became governor of Kano State between 1999 and 2003.
I was appointed a member of the Niger Delta Development Commission to represent North West and that was the position that I held before I resigned on personal principle. If you are in politics you don't tie your faith to any position, you just do your best, and work hard for the people. At the moment we are working very hard to make a difference. When I decided to go into politics, I was interested in human development. I had a good job and a good future in the civil service but decided that people would appreciate my services more if I went into politics. I thank God that I had the opportunity to do so.
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