As deputy governor and the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 2023 elections in Jigawa state, Mallam Umar Namadi, FCA alias Danmodi, had told every Jigawa indigene who cared to listen that “the task before us is to build a stronger, smarter Jigawa that works for everyone,” as his Strategic campaign oath.
Titled “My agenda for greater Jigawa, Governor Namadi had since swung into action to implement his agenda to develop the state beyond imagination.
Though it’s no longer news that global development challenges are growing and evolving rapidly in response to the financial difficulties created by the global pandemic, aka Covid-19 and climate change, the Jigawa government is determined to use home grown approaches to deal with the challenges posed by the situation.
With a population that has grown from barely 4 million in 2001 to 7
million in 2022. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, in 2021, poverty and food insecurity have remained high despite the concerted efforts of the current Jigawa state government’s
administration to address them through strategic investments in agriculture, health, and essential infrastructure.
The dynamics of all microeconomic variables; the youth unemployment rate of 33 percent, the state’s Gross Domestic Product, GDP, based on the ongoing reforms, the state’s GDP grew from N900 billion in 2015 to N2.3 trillion in 2022 and 3.8 percent rate economic growth.
Even as the state’s second in command and governorship candidate, Namadi had stated that these figures have strengthened his confidence on efficacy of the economic growth policies being pursued by the state government.
Climate change continues to disrupt livelihoods and degrade the state’s environment along downstream communities. It is crystal clear that agriculture predominantly drives the state’s economy which is dominated by smallholder farmers. The state’s internally generated revenue is still 15 percent of its expenditure.
It is Governor Namadi who reaffirmed, faced with these macroeconomic realities, that Jigawa state must innovate and consolidate on the existing reforms started by former Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar (now minister of defence) to make the state work for everyone and integrate the gains for building a more robust, smarter Jigawa that is self-sufficient and secured.
It is on record that the Namadi, has since taking the oath of office as governor on May 29 last year, pledged a comprehensive plan that lays out his vision for sustainable economic growth; modern, efficient
and profitable agriculture; youth empowerment, employment and productivity.
The plan also provides for an improved quality education system; an innovative, accessible, and affordable health care system,; a comprehensive social security arrangement as well as an enhanced security system.
According to Governor Namadi, securing Jigawa is a key priority of his administration by building an inclusive community-led response to security, adopting new technologies, and strengthening local government councils, traditional institutions, and
other relevant stakeholders to ensure the safety of lives and properties of the good people of jigawa state.
He intends to review the existing social security arrangement to cover
the poor, elderly and vulnerable in the society.
All being equal, Governor Namadi’s ultimate goal is to make Jigawa a peculiar state that works for everyone by creating an enabling environment for opportunities so that all its residents can thrive in peace and tranquility.
Whether or not Governor Namadi’s agenda for greater Jigawa state is workable is left to time. But what is important is that the governor has strategically put policies and measures in place towards achieving his plans efficiently and effectively. The greatest asset the governor has in this regard is that the people are behind him in giving their utmost support and cooperation.
Musa Ilallah,
Emeka Anyaoku street,
Maitama, Abuja
[email protected]
