President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is expected to commission a skills acquisition centre and launch an agricultural support programme for farmers during his one-day working visit to Jigawa State on Tuesday.
The visit, according to the Senior Special Assistant to the President, Mr Abdul’aziz Abdul’aziz, is part of the President’s nationwide political engagements ahead of the 2027 general elections. It will also provide an opportunity to showcase development projects executed by the Federal Government in collaboration with the Jigawa State Government.
Abdul’aziz, who spoke with journalists in Dutse ahead of the presidential visit, described the engagement as a homecoming for Tinubu, citing his longstanding political relationship with Jigawa State and other parts of Northern Nigeria.
He recalled that the President’s political association with Jigawa dated back to the period of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), which had considerable political influence in the state.
He listed former Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, Alhaji Bashir Al-Hatu, Aminu Al-Hatu and former member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Farouk Adamu Aliyu, among prominent Jigawa politicians who have maintained longstanding political relationships with Tinubu.
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The presidential aide also recalled accompanying Tinubu to Jigawa in 2013 or early 2014 during political consultations with the then Governor, Sule Lamido, over the possibility of joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He said the President also maintained a cordial relationship with the late Emir of Dutse, Alhaji Nuhu Muhammad Sanusi, recalling that the traditional ruler had personally appealed to him to address the persistent water challenges in Dutse.
According to him, the ongoing Greater Dutse Waterworks project, which has attracted billions of naira in Federal Government funding, is a response to the appeal made by the late emir.
Abdul’aziz said the Tinubu administration had also undertaken several infrastructure projects across Jigawa, particularly in road construction, rail transportation, agriculture, education and security.
He identified the Kano-Kazaure-Kongo Road, Kano-Maiduguri Road, Kano-Dutse rail project and Kwanar Dangata-Gumel-Hadejia Road as some of the major infrastructure interventions in the state.
He added that the Kwanar Dangata-Gumel-Hadejia Road was about 70 per cent completed, while work was progressing on other major road projects.
The presidential aide also mentioned the Kanya-Babura Road, an erosion control project in Jahun, the Federal College of Agriculture in Kazaure and the Police Training College in Gwaram as other Federal Government interventions.
On agriculture, Abdul’aziz said Jigawa farmers had benefited from various support programmes introduced by the Tinubu administration, particularly the special intervention for wheat farmers.
He recalled visiting Auyo and Kazaure about two years ago alongside the Minister of Information and other members of the Federal Government’s communication team, where he witnessed the impact of agricultural investments on farmers and rural communities.
He said the interventions had enabled some subsistence farmers to expand their businesses, improve productivity and create employment opportunities.
The presidential aide also identified the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as another major intervention that had helped families overcome the financial difficulties associated with sponsoring their children in tertiary institutions.
He explained that the scheme provides tuition support and monthly stipends to eligible students, with repayment commencing after beneficiaries secure employment, in line with the programme’s conditions.
Abdul’aziz said the initiative was particularly significant for families in Jigawa, where financial constraints had continued to limit some young people’s access to higher education.
He further attributed the increasing capacity of state governments to execute development projects to improved revenue allocations resulting from the fiscal reforms of the Tinubu administration.
He said Governor Malam Umar Namadi’s development initiatives in Jigawa were also being supported by the increased financial resources available to state governments.
According to him, the Federal Government’s financial reforms have provided state governments with greater opportunities to invest in infrastructure and other strategic sectors rather than spend resources on non-priority activities.
Abdul’aziz said the Tinubu administration’s interventions in Jigawa were aimed at promoting sustainable development, improving living standards and creating opportunities for present and future generations.
He urged residents to assess the Federal Government based on its policies, programmes and projects, saying the presidential visit would provide an opportunity to highlight its interventions in the state.
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