2018: Season of Unending Infrastructural Development in Kano

Oyewale Oyelola

Kano state in the last three years has witnessed significant infrastructural development due to deliberate, consistent and sustained efforts of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje to address the infrastructure gap and uplift the state as a megacity in the making. The state government under the leadership of Governor Ganduje has expended over N100billion of development projects scattered in all the 44 local government areas despite the dwindling in revenue from federation account monthly.

Besides, the governor used his prudent financial management to put Kano state back on track by introducing reforms to cushion effect of N225billion burden inherited by current administration. The astute administrator remains commitment towards fulfillment of his campaign promises which include bringing meaning and sustainable development to the Caliphate state.

In view of that, the current administration invested billions of naira to ensure prompt completion of Sabongari Axis 2km bridge inland flyover initiated by his predecessor which is at 25 percent completion prior to swearing of Ganduje. The project has been completed and will be commissioned by President Muhammadu Buhari soon.

In 2018 fiscal year, Kano state spent over N30billion on capital projects including roads, bridges, flyovers, drainages, schools, health facilities and others across the state. Ganduje has embarked on road projects to open up ancient city of Kano with good road networks to ease movement of people from different locations across the state.

 

Apart from that, Governor Ganduje released fund for construction of Underpass, Flyover and Roundabout at Dangi road connecting Zaria road-Zoo road and Silver Jubilee road in Kano Metropolis. The project award at N4.5billion is ongoing steadily as pillars for the flyover has been erected while workmen are working day and night to ensure its prompt completion.  Governor Ganduje noted that the provision of roundabout, clovers, slip roads and rotary intersections will allow easy, safe, and controlled maneuvers and changes in directions to the desired routes.

“The project would cost N4. 5 billion and to ensure that work does not stop, we decided to pay the contractors 50 percent of the total project cost and the contractor has assured us that it would be completed in ten months time.

“This noble project was conceived out of our inherent desire to solve the persistent transportation problems bedeviling the Zaria road/Zoo road area, sequel to various pleas by teeming members of the public”. The governor explained.

 

Likewise, Governor Ganduje launched Integrated Rural Development Initiative tagged “Karkaka Salamu Alaikum” to fast track infrastructural development in rural communities and minimizes rural-urban migration. Under the initiative the state government embarked on construction of roads in the 38 rural local government areas in the state.

 

Some of the roads include 9.10km Sodiwa-Ridawa-Kasuwar Kuka road in Kunchi local government, 23km Kwanar Zira-Ganduje-Dungurawa Road, 8.5km Ganduje-Saje feeder road linking Bichi and Dawakin Toga councils, Dambatta Township Roads that involves construction of drainages and ancillary facilities and many more.

 

Another infrastructural development being implemented by the state government in 2018 comprises the maintenance of 31 dilapidated roads in the state capital, to be carried out in eight clusters at N1.3 billion.

In April, Governor Ganduje laid the foundation for the re-construction and upgrade of the Fagwalawa Primary Health Center in Dambatta local government area, to a Cottage Hospital following the extensive damage to the center following a fire outbreak recently, which resulted in the loss of medical consumables and infrastructure worth millions of Naira.

 

According to the governor, the project would include building of new structure, provision of equipment and medical consumables at the facility which serves people of Fagwalawa and surrounding communities in both Kano and Jigawa states.

 

Furthermore, Ganduje maintains his priority for the security of lives and properties by earmarking N400million for building of new police divisions across the state and also approved N1billion on procurement of gadgets and operational vehicles for security operatives in the state. Just last month

 

Expectedly, the education sector attracted some infrastructural development like building of five new modern schools and awarded contract worth N2. 5 billion for completion of 14 inherited abandoned schools and 13 sundry education related projects.

 

Surprisingly, the foresight leader has commenced the implementation of 2019 with the release of N1 billion from the revenue generated in November to kick start construction of Kofar Mata -Singer -Murtala Mohammed way in Kano metropolis.

The project which has a cloverleaf interchange is one of the capital undertakings captured in the 2019 Appropriation bill of the state, according to the state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. This is part of N38bn allocated for infrastructure in 2019 fiscal year and N2billion will goes into rural roads to continue the ongoing works in the grassroots.

Without mincing, Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has stepped up development of the state and fast track process of turning rural community to semi-urban areas with provision of necessary infrastructures. It will as well ease movement of people and goods, attract investors, facilitate economy growth and uplift Kano metropolis to projected status of megacity sooner than expected.