Abba Gida Gida: Empowering Women, Youth for enduring social economic growth, human development

Emerging tall after a prolong litigation that threatened the lawful mandate freely bestowed on him by the good people of Kano, State Engr. Abba Kabir Yusuf declaration as Governor of Kano is truly a devine intervention, to say the least.

Although, he’s not a novice in administrative and management schemes, but know full well, the enormity of the responsibility ahead of him, Abba Gida Gida as fondly call came prepared to imprint positive footprint in all human endeavors.

In this edition of Kano in Focus, readers would be acquitted with Governor Yusuf’s mission on human empowerment initiatives and, how so far, the administration has been able to actualize and impacted on small scale businesses through it’s lofty women and youth empowerment programs.

In a clearly defined blueprint, Governor Yusuf believes “the biggest investment by any government should be in human capital development, to ensure the full operationalization of government systems.

“As such, we would prioritise the in-building skills of the teaming youth at both formal and informal levels. Some opportunities can be used to address the unemployment situation of the state. The administration will explore all the opportunities and revisit what was established”.

As spelled out, the plan of action of this administration in the area of human development includes reintroduction of Foreign and Domestic Training and Scholarships for postgraduate and undergraduate youth. Our idea is a clear departure from the previous administration shredded in fraudulent practices where fees where inflated and subsequently siphoned by officials of the administration, thereby abandoned the innocent students stranded in foreign land.

In fulfillment of this objective, Governor Yusuf sponsored 550 postgraduate students on foreign scholarship in October 2023. To the glory of Almighty, this first batch of foreign trained Kano natives have successful completed their academic work and returned home exactly one year after, while preparation to send the next batch has reached advance stage.

Women and Youth Empowerment Scheme through monthly disbursement of stipend is not left out in Yusuf’s critical objective and action plan. The intention is to widening proliferation of small scale businesses among women and youth. The initiative is not only to engage idle hands with sources of sustenance, but also to create mass cluster of entrepreneur in the ancient city thereby reducing unemployment and poverty, hardship rising from the present high cost of living.

In keeping to this objective, Abba Gida Gida flagged off disbursement of N50, 000 each monthly stipend to 5,200 women drawn across the 44 local government areas of the state. Kicked in May this year, the government intended to disburse N260 million monthly and over N3.1 billion annually on this initiative alone.

While unveiling the first batch of this empowerment scheme, Governor Yusuf said, ” Life sustenance and self independence is germane for a patriots who through thick and thin faced the challenges of poverty and deprivation, but trending the path of honor, dignity and respect notwisthanding the little turnover they make daily required full support of this government.

“This gesture is deliberately intended to uplifting those in their low income earning and families with small scale businesses to enable them with means that boost and enhance their sustenance,” Yusuf added.

That said, the people’s administration of Governor Yusuf also disbursed N50, 000 each to 465 street hawkers trading Car accessories, decorators and kitchen utensils in gridlocks.

This special intervention aimed to encourage the young boys who strives daily to feed their families has indeed bolstered public confidence in the NNPP administration. Yusuf has successfully, restored the hope of the youth and heightened their expectations in hard work.

This simple gesture has drastically reduced youth restiveness, unemployment, drug abuse, and to a large rate, the level of crime and criminality in the state. Above all, our administration reactivated necessary action to resuscitate the 21 skill acquisition and specialized institutions designed to offer skill and capacity to younger generation in the state.

Unfortunately, the centres established about 10 years ago during the second tenure of Dr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso as Governor of Kano state were shutdown and left abandoned by Ganduje led administration for eight years. The neglect has deprived millions of youth the opportunity to gain future skills.

Sanusi Ahmad Bature Dawakin-Tofa
Director-General Media and Publicity, Kano State Government House.