Leadership is more about facing challenges and with challenges, come opportunities. Leaders, politicians in particular holding elective offices, are required to tackle challenges squarely and bring about positive, progressive and transformative changes. Thus, leadership symbolises opportunities to make a difference.
The aphorism of the late United States of America President Theodore Roosevelt is instructive: “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” These words resonate and connect with the leadership style of Governor Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto state. They connect with him going by the way he has succeeded in towering above his peers within the short period he took over as governor. In less than two years in office, Aliyu has ingrained his name in the psyche of the citizens of the state. He is able to achieve the noble and enthralling feta through landmark and legacy projects that cut across all the sectors of the state’s economy.
Having put his hand on the plough on May 29, 2023, Governor Aliyu has not looked back in his determination and zeal to make a difference and to give back to the people all they deserve, crave for and cherish as loyal, patriotic and dedicated citizens of the state. His work speaks for him and it is not a surprise that recognition and acknowledgement for his Spartan lifestyle, sincere, dedicated and purposeful leadership are coming from far and wide. One of the most recent was the Governor of the Year Award by the Sun Newspapers. This underlines his visionary leadership and multifaceted transformative agenda. Governor Aliyu came into office with a clear blueprint on the way forward for Sokoto state. His 9-Point Smart Agenda aims to bring about a paradigm shift in education, healthcare, agriculture, water supply, security, youth empowerment, local government autonomy, and religious affairs.
The mission of the governor is to establish a robust infrastructure that fosters tangible improvements in those critical areas. Through tenacity of purpose and piety, he has, within a short period, achieved outstanding milestones. He has successfully completed an array of projects, surpassing 180 initiatives across various sectors, which many stakeholders and experts assert showcase his unwavering commitment to public service delivery and infrastructure development. He has constructed more than 30 township roads, while work is steadily progressing in 40 other projects. This remarkable feat has significantly enhanced connectivity and access to essential services, and ultimately, endeared him to the people at the grassroots. On the power sector, Governor Aliyu has installed solar-powered street lights, which have substantially improved safety and quality of life for residents. His zeal and determination to turn things around as quickly as feasible is also evident in his well-coordinated programme on housing. He has completed more than 1,000 housing units, just as he is focused on promoting social welfare.
Education is the bedrock of economic growth and development. Governor Aliyu does not only realise the importance of the sector, but has also given it an utmost priority, with the renovation of existing facilities and building of new ones. He has also ensured the provision of instructional materials and timely payment of external examinations fees for students. But more remarkable in his determination to give the sector a facelift is the fact that Governor Aliyu allocated a princely 25 percent of the state 2025 budget to the education sector. It is indeed remarkable because the figure surpasses international benchmark for effective funding of education in developing countries.
Another critical sector that has recorded a major fillip is health. The primary healthcare centers have been renovated and made functional since 2023, while new general hospitals are being built, complemented by sustained immunisation and free maternity care for pregnant women. On the same score, the governor has initiated proactive measures to manage security in Sokoto. He established the Sokoto State Community Guards Corps, an initiative he designed purposely to complement existing security forces. So, he empowers state security forces with logistics to ensure the security of life and property. Realising the danger of unemployment since an idle mind is the devil’s workshop, Governor Aliyu also created an empowerment scheme, provided soft grants to the people, thus enabling them to boost their businesses and become self-reliant. After all, the safety of lives and property is sine quo non in achieving the five basic needs of man in a generic term.
The cornerstone of good governance is accountability, transparency and honesty. It is part of the hallmark of a purposeful leadership. So, Governor Aliyu’s emphasis on fiscal prudence and discipline has enabled Sokoto to develop numerous infrastructural projects without accumulating debt. His commitment to responsible financial management has earned him recognition from critical stakeholders and national leaders. One other thing that endears the governor to the governor is his choice to remain in their midst in all seasons, regardless of the vicissitude; in the rain or sunshine. This is the reason they refer to him as a leader with a heart for his people; a man that does not compromise their wellbeing and welfare. His leadership style prioritises the needs of his people. He resides in Sokoto, spends most of his time there, and rarely travels out of the state. This approach enables him to understand the problems faced by his constituents and develop effective solutions and mechanism to restore smiles to their faces, replacing them with grimaces of the past.
Therefore the icing on the cake is the “Governor of the Year” Award, which even his adversaries regard as a testament to Governor Aliyu’s exemplary governance. His transformative leadership has brought significant improvements to Sokoto state, and his commitment to fiscal prudence has ensured the state’s financial stability. Indeed, he remains a shining example of effective governance in Nigeria.
Again, the message conveyed by another US President, John F. Kennedy, bears testimony to the calculated march of Governor Aliyu in his quest to reposition Sokoto on a sound pedestal in all fronts. According to Kennedy, “A man may die, nations may rise and fall but an idea lives on.’ That summarises the activities of the governor, who has not only reset the needle of governance and set his eyes on the ball is also conscious of what history would say about him when he had the opportunity to show the way, lead and sow the seed that will emerge as an oak tree in the annals of Sokoto state.
Keren Ibrahim writes from Abuja
