A media aide to President Bola Tinubu, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has highlighted several campaign promises fulfilled by the administration in Jigawa State. Speaking in Dutse, Mr Abdulaziz noted that President Tinubu has maintained strong ties with political leaders in Jigawa State and continues to hold them in high esteem. He recalled that during the 2022 presidential campaign tour, the late Emir of Dutse, Nuhu Muhammad-Sanusi, appealed for the execution of the Dutse Greater Water Project to address chronic water scarcity in the state capital.
The Dutse Greater Water Project, costing about N50 billion, is nearing completion and will source water from the Siltilmawa community in Ringim LGA to Dutse. Mr Abdulaziz also mentioned that the federal government has prioritized completing inherited and strategic arterial routes to ease commerce and drive socio-economic growth. Key transport projects currently underway or advanced include the Kwanar Danja–Tsalle–Hadejia Road, now at 75 per cent completion, and the Kunya–Kanya–Babura–Babban Mutum Road, which is 82 per cent complete.
The Kano–Maiduguri expressway corridor is also nearing completion, along with strategic rail infrastructure, including the Kano–Maradi rail line corridor and the Kano–Shuwarin rail link. Additionally, Mr Abdulaziz emphasized that the administration's Renewed Hope Housing Scheme is transforming Jigawa's landscape, with a 1,500-unit housing scheme and designated Renewed Hope Estates across Dutse and surrounding Local Government Areas. These initiatives aim to provide civil servants and vulnerable families with access to affordable homeownership.
In the agriculture and food security sector, hundreds of thousands of local farmers have benefited from subsidized inputs and targeted federal interventions. These include 120,000 hectares cultivated under the national dry-season wheat initiative, 1,042 hectares dedicated to date palm development, and the Jahun drainage and irrigation scheme. The federal government has also distributed farm machinery valued at ₦5 billion. Furthermore, over ₦11.5 billion has been disbursed to more than 178,000 vulnerable beneficiaries under the Renewed Hope Social Protection Scheme.
In the education sector, federal initiatives are easing household financial pressures, with over one million students in tertiary institutions across northern Nigeria benefiting from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund. This has significantly alleviated the burden of tuition fees on parents, particularly low-income households. President Tinubu has also approved the establishment of the Federal University of Agriculture in Kirikasamma Local Government Area and a new police college in the state.
Residents in Jigawa have expressed mixed reactions to President Tinubu's visit, appreciating long-term projects while expressing concern over current economic hardship. Aminu Garba, a commercial transporter, acknowledged the completion of the Wudil/Gaya/Dutse highway, which has been under construction since 1999. However, he noted that many people are struggling to afford fuel, and the cost of fuel is consuming their profits. Abba Haruna, a civil servant and farmer, welcomed federal interventions in dry-season farming and irrigation schemes.
Dahiru Suleiman, a father of a final-year student at Federal University, Dutse, praised the student loan scheme, which has brought relief to struggling households. He noted that without the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, several parents would have had their children drop out due to tuition hikes. The presidential aide urged the Jigawa electorate to remain discerning and resist political rhetoric, calling on them to back President Tinubu and All Progressives Congress candidates in the 2027 general election.
Key points
- President Tinubu's administration has fulfilled several campaign promises in Jigawa State, including the near-completion of the Dutse Greater Water Project and the construction of key transport projects.
- The administration's Renewed Hope Housing Scheme and agricultural initiatives have provided benefits to civil servants, vulnerable families, and local farmers in Jigawa State.
- Residents in Jigawa have expressed mixed reactions to President Tinubu's visit, appreciating long-term projects while expressing concern over current economic hardship.
