Kebbi 2027: In Defense Of Progress, By Sani Hayatuddeen
It is a well-known maxim that people often demonise what they cannot conquer. This aptly describes the barrage of attacks from a loud, faceless minority who have made it their vocation to muddy the waters of progress in Kebbi State. Unfortunately for them, selling falsehood where people already see real, physical, and verifiable success is a herculean, if not an outrightly impossible task.
This is the reality confronting the enemies of Kebbi State, wherever they may be hiding. Dr Nasir Idris, the comrade governor of our dear Kebbi State, has set a new standard that unsettles even politicians who have long thrived without genuine ambition. Since his election in 2023, Kauran Gwandu has shocked many by acting in a way uncommon among Nigerian politicians—he has kept his promises to the people of the state.
This, in itself, is an affront to the coven of career politicians masquerading as leaders, whose survival depends heavily on perpetuating bad governance. They feed on failure, using it as a bargaining chip to blackmail sitting governors into giving them undeserved relevance.
But Gov. Idris chose a different path. He handed power back to the people. In just over two years of his stewardship, every intervention has been tailored towards uplifting lives and livelihoods of our people. He has pursued this mission with an honesty and sincerity Kebbi people had not been accustomed to.
After all, it is not every day a sitting governor stands before cameras to openly reveal the level of rot in critical sectors, and then assures his people that while solutions may take time, the outcome will bring relief and hope.
The people believe him, and rightly so, because evidence of progress is already visible. Take roads, for instance. Gov. Idris has concentrated on completing long-abandoned projects while also rolling out new ones that connect the entire length and bredth of the state. His urban renewal programme has transformed township roads in Birnin Kebbi, Yauri, and Argungu into befiting modern roads, with plans already set to extend the gesture to Zuru. Perhaps, the most notable of the road intervention drive is the Koko–Dabai Road, a crucial 87-kilometre stretch that had languished under past administrations. Recognised as vital for the economic well-being of the Zuru Emirate and beyond, its completion is now being fast-tracked to give people of the emirate a sense of belonging. The road promises to unlock the vast agricultural potential of the area, providing much-needed connectivity for farmers and traders.
In education, Idris has demonstrated similar resolve. His administration has recruited 2,000 qualified teachers, improved school funding, and embraced innovative teaching methods to raise standards. The construction of four mega primary schools across the state, coupled with renewed support for vocational training, underscores his long-term vision of empowering young Kebbi citizens with both academic and practical skills to compete in a changing job market. These strides in education reflect his broader philosophy of sustainable development, a commitment to positioning Kebbi as a state capable of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with its peers nationwide.
Healthcare, too, has witnessed remarkable advancement. So far, Gov. Idris has initiated the modernisation of Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital in Birnin Kebbi, temporarily relocating vital departments like Medicine, Surgery, Ophthalmology, ENT, Dental, and Physiotherapy to the Kebbi Medical Centre in Kalgo to enable comprehensive remodelling. This facility, meanwhile, was elevated to teaching hospital status, strengthening its role in healthcare delivery and professional training. Gov. Idris also recruited about 890 health workers, the headline of which is the compassionate absorbtion of casual staff into permanent roles, fortifying the workforce.
Under his leadership, six general hospitals were renovated, selected primary healthcare centres upgraded, ambulance services expanded, free delivery kits were distributed to expectant mothers, and psychiatric medications made available to over 20,000 patients. These bold interventions earned him regional recognition for excellence in healthcare delivery and human capacity development. Needless to say this is further evidence of a leader deliberately investing not only in the health sector, prioritising both access and quality, but in the future.
The Gov. Idris’s interventions speak to a pattern: it has shown him as a governor who does not merely make promises but takes deliberate steps to fulfil them. While the challenges remain daunting, Idris’s style has been to confront them with transparency, rather than cloak them in denial or political spin. That rare candour, admitting where rot exists and pledging to clean it up, is what has endeared him to the people.
It is therefore unsurprising that detractors have grown more desperate in their attempts to malign his government. But their propaganda finds little ground to stand on, because those of us who live and work in Kebbi can point to roads being built, schools being reformed, hospitals being improved, and communities being revitalised. The progress is tangible; the change is visible.
I think the earlier these accidental leaders learn that Gov. Idris is not their typical everyday politician, the better for them. This is because, he has not only gone and merely raised the bar of governance in Kebbi State, the former union leader he has redefined it completely. And for those still waging a war of lies, the verdict is out and it’s simple: you cannot demonise success when it stares the people in the face.
When given the option to choose between real progress under Gov. Idris and the empty rhetorics of displaced politicians desperate to return to power for their own selfish gains, the people of Kebbi know where to pitch their tent. And com 2027, we’ll show these displaced politicians just what loyalty to progress looks like.
Hayatuddeen writes from Birnin Kebbi