”The challenge is not to manage time but to manage ourselves.” — Steven Covey
Malam Umar Namadi a.k.a Dan Modi stood out among the contenders for the Jigawa APC gubernatorial nomination, not because he openly declared his intention to run in the 2023 primaries, but rather because many didn’t see him contesting, let alone succeeding in the general election.
The skepticism was not due to a lack of experience or popularity but his austere and humble personality despite his position as the state’s deputy governor.
But by Allah’s grace Malam Umar Namadi (FCA), defied these expectations, to win both the primaries and the general election to become Jigawa’s governor.
This development remains a point of interest among the public, political scientists, and the media.
Interestingly, within two years in office, the Namadi administration has delivered tangible and lasting democratic dividends, though it has faced numerous challenges, including a heavy debt burden, unpaid pensions, arrears for contractors, an understaffed civil service, deteriorating education and health sectors, farmer-herdsmen conflicts, poor infrastructure, widespread poverty, frequent flooding, high maternal and child mortality rates, and significant unemployment.
The Namadi administration also inherited neglected education, health, and agricultural sectors. Many schools, from primary through tertiary institutions, were not equipped to meet current societal challenges due to years of neglect by previous administration.
Records show that prior to Dan Modi’s administration, over 70 percent of pupils in public primary schools lacked adequate seating. Overcrowding was common, with many primary and secondary school classrooms holding 70-90 to above students each. Moreover, it was reported that over 60 percent of the 13,000 teachers in about 2,000 primary schools lacked the minimum qualification of a National Certificate in Education (NCE), rendering them unqualified to teach.
UNICEF and the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS) statistics revealed that Jigawa ranks among the states with the highest numbers of children out of school, despite not facing the security challenges of Boko Haram, banditry, or kidnappings seen elsewhere. This situation underscores government negligence.
In the health sector, the governor’s efforts to hire over 2,000 healthcare workers, support and encourage medical students abroad, and reinstate free drugs for children under five, pregnant women, and inmates are commendable. Additionally, the revival and restructuring of the Haihuwa Lafiya scheme, introduced by the Lamido administration, along with building and renovating hospitals, is a positive step toward improving healthcare.
To address youth unemployment, over 6,000 youths have been employed, and thousands of young people and women have received vocational training and various forms of educational and economic support through J-Power and empowerment programs.
Governor Namadi has also approved and implemented a minimum wage of #70,000 since last year (2024) and distributed car loans, new vehicles, and motorcycles to eligible civil servants, security agencies, and youth employment schemes.
Palliative provision shops offering highly subsidized goods to civil servants on credit have been opened across the 27 local government areas in the state.
The administration has settled nearly all pension arrears owed to retired civil servants, addressing delays that left retirees waiting 9-11 months or more for their benefits under the previous administration.
To improve education, over 100 dilapidated schools have been rehabilitated, enhancing the learning environment. Analysts say this is an addition to settling hundreds of millions in feeding allowances for boarding students and increasing allowance amounts.
Namadi’s administration has also hired over 5,000 qualified teachers and settled billions in pension arrears owed to retired educators.
Before the midterm, the administration has spent billions of naira to provide safe drinking water to communities across the state.