By Louis Achi
In setting sail as the seventh democratically elected governor of Sokoto State, youthful Dr. Ahmad Aliyu apparently identified across-board infrastructure revamp, education renaissance, strict budgeting and circumspect development planning as ‘weapon-grade’ tools with which to change Sokoto’s development story.
With a laser-sharp focus, he simply ‘weaponized’ these critical governance imperatives and this enabled him, within just two years on the saddle, to transform his state and send a very clear signal to both friends and foes that Sokoto State indeed means business.
These dimensions of course closely synergise with his 9-point smart agenda which captured his compact with expectant folks of the Seat of the Caliphate. The elements of his 9-point smart agenda include – education, health, water, agriculture, security, youth empowerment, local government autonomy, religious affairs, and economy.
And it must be noted at the outset that Governor Aliyu achieved these significant development milestones in Sokoto State – the focus of this essay – without borrowing a kobo.
First, some clarifications. Whereas a development plan delivers a vision, a matching budget provides the operational framework for its realization. The transition from a plan to a budget involves the deployment of often complex control machinery. Interestingly, this is Governor Ahmad’s forte.
In governance, budgeting guarantees orderly development. It’s no secret that governance without sound targeted budgeting will definitely translate into jumbled development – if there is any development at all.
Like budgeting, planning is crucial to state, national and even organisational governance. Without good planning, development, assumed to be the ultimate goal of quality governance, becomes a mirage. The primary reason for planning is to take care of the future. In effect, planning is deciding in advance what to do, how to do it, when to do it, who is to do it, why do it, and how much resources are to be used.
In circumspectly executing these intricate governance gameplan, Governor Ahmad Aliyu stands head and shoulders above most of his peers – that is the governors’ class of 2023.
Governor Aliyu correctly realized quite early that infrastructure is the backbone of economic growth. It improves access to basic services such as roads, bridges, clean water and electricity, creates jobs, boosts business and more. As he is wont, he embarked on very aggressive infrastructural development across board in the state.
According to Hon. Isah Sadeeq Achida, the State APC Chairman, one of the most notable accomplishments of Governor Ahmad’s administration – what he described as “a remarkable and people-centered performance” that has positively impacted all sectors of the state – is the construction of an extensive network of roads across all the 23 local government areas of the state. He stated that both urban and rural communities have benefitted from new roads and the rehabilitation of existing ones, enhancing connectivity and promoting economic growth.
Further according to a clearly elated Hon. Achida, “In just two years, Governor Ahmed Aliyu has ensured that no local government area is left behind. Our communities are now better connected, and the ease of movement has significantly improved for farmers, traders, and other residents.”
In the health sector, the APC chairman noted that the administration has undertaken the construction and rehabilitation of numerous health facilities. These efforts, he said, have improved access to quality healthcare services, particularly in rural communities.
Water supply also featured prominently in the governor’s development agenda. Hon. Achida revealed the government constructed modern water works in the headquarters of all 23 local government areas, explaining this has eased the burden of water scarcity and improved sanitation across the state.
He also highlighted education and religious infrastructure were also highlighted in the scorecard, disclosing that several schools have been built or rehabilitated to provide a more conducive learning environment for students. In addition, congregational mosques in various parts of the state have received attention, which is in line with the administration’s commitment to promoting religious and moral values.
It’s not disputable that Sokoto is a conservative society. Thinking out of the box in a highly conservative milieu surely presents its challenges but doing otherwise will surely diminish the best of Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s efforts. The youthful governor has taken up this challenge because he recognizes that the 21st Century can only align with progressive thinkers and not slackers.
But while a happy Achida spoke in generalities, more specific data would serve to underlie the scope, sweep and depth of Governor Aliyu’s remarkable achievements just within two years of assuming executive office as the boss.
It’s noteworthy that beyond Sokoto metropolis, Governor Aliyu’s administration has prioritized rural road connectivity quite aware that the majority of Sokoto State’s populace reside in rural areas. Strategic rural roads, such as the Huchi-Gidan Kamba-Lugu junction, Wurno-Kwargaba-Sabongari, and Goronyo-Kirare roads, have been rehabilitated to facilitate the movement of goods and services.
In total, the Department of Rural Feeder Roads has constructed and rehabilitated approximately 101.65 kilometers of rural feeder roads across the state, including the 3.6-kilometer Tangaza-Zabarmawar Yahaya Town road and the 4-kilometer Dingyadi-Rumbuki road in Bodinga Local Government Area. These projects have improved access to markets, boosted agricultural productivity, and enhanced social interactions in rural communities.
The perennial water scarcity in Sokoto was also a key focus area. Residents of the state were subjected to acute shortages and reliance on expensive, often unsafe, water sources. But Governor Aliyu would have none of that. His administration has so far made significant strides in addressing the challenge through a ₦14.1 billion water project aimed at reviving and completing six township water schemes.
These were water schemes initiated by the administration of Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko but ignored between 2015 and 2023. The water schemes are located in Tamaje, Old Airport, Gagi, Mana, Runjin Sambo, and Ruga Liman and have a combined capacity of 40 million gallons of water per day.
To the joy of the people, on June 23, Aliyu commissioned the Old Airport Water Scheme, which would guarantee some three million gallons of water daily. This marks a significant milestone in the governor’s determined efforts to end water scarcity in the state. Speaking at the commissioning, Governor Aliyu described the project as “promise fulfilled.”
He clarified his administration inherited a collapsed water supply system in the state powered by obsolete equipment and absence of treatment chemicals. To address these issues, Aliyu said that his government replaced outdated equipment, secured alternative power sources for the state water board, and ensured a steady supply of clean water to Sokoto and its environs. There is more.
Sokoto State’s 2025 budget of “Transformation and Infrastructural Sustainability,” notching N526,882,142,484.39 is already consolidating achievements of the 2024 budget. The Sokoto State 2025 budget has a recurrent expenditure of N176,295,602,130.14 billion and a whopping N349,386,540,354.25 billion for capital expenditure, a 34:66 percent recurrent to capital ratio. As in the 2024 budget which gave education over 30 per cent, next year’s budget also unapologetically prioritises education.
According to the Commissioner for Information and Orientation in the State, Hon. Sambo Bello Danchadi, “Some key areas of focus for the 2025 budget include: Education: with 25% allocation; devoting substantial portion of the state’s budget to education is a significant commitment to improving the sector. This move will help address infrastructural deficits, fund educational programs, and ensure the effective delivery of teaching and learning.
“By surpassing UNESCO’s recommended benchmark of 15-20%, the administration is demonstrating its priority for education, which is critical to achieving sustainable development.”
From the basic to tertiary levels in the state, the governor’s premium on education is obvious from the re-accreditation of several courses in its tertiary institutions and the massive construction of schools, renovation of dilapidated buildings, provision of furniture, and instructional materials, the prompt payment of examination fees for students writing the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) examinations, and the payment of outstanding scholarships for students undergoing various degree programmes.
Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s vision for educational transformation is mirrored in various specific interventions. His APC-led administration has prioritized education as a cornerstone of societal progress.
A significant highlight of his tenure is the intervention for 88 Sokoto State medical students affected by the crisis in Sudan. Rather than allowing these future healthcare professionals to languish in uncertainty, his administration facilitated their transfer to Usmanu Danfodiyo University Medical College, ensuring their education remained uninterrupted. This bold initiative underscores his administration’s commitment to nurturing human capital and fostering resilience in the face of challenges.
Moreover, the government has invested heavily in educational infrastructure and teacher training programmes. By creating enabling environment for both students and educators, the administration is building foundation for a more enlightened and competitive youth population in Sokoto State.
It is no secret that over 800,000 children in the state have been enrolled into basic education schools, marking a drastic increase in the number of enrolments into public primary schools and attributes the increased enrolment to the efforts of the state governor to improve education infrastructure across the state.
A deserving recipient of ‘The SUN Governor of the Year,” the newspaper’s Board of Editors succinctly summarized Governor Aliyu’s development trajectory: “You came to office as governor in 2023 with a 9-Point Smart Agenda designed to lift Sokoto to higher grounds. Your target was to install the right infrastructure that can spur visible and measurable improvements in the key social and economic areas, like education, healthcare, agriculture, water supply, security, youth empowerment, local government autonomy and religious affairs. In less than two years of your assumption of office, you have changed the narrative in Sokoto, having done much towards the transformation of the state.
Indeed, Sokoto State means business guided by a leader who governs with focus and empathy.