REBUTTING THE REGRESSION NARRATIVE: KANO’S TRUE DEVELOPMENT TRAJECTORY

REBUTTING THE REGRESSION NARRATIVE: KANO’S TRUE DEVELOPMENT TRAJECTORY

By Aminu Hussaini

In recent commentary portraying Kano State as a place where development is allegedly “in reverse,” facts have been sacrificed on the altar of political rhetoric. Such claims, repeated by some commentators including Garba Mohammed, do not withstand scrutiny when measured against the visible, verifiable and ongoing development outcomes across Kano State. The assertion of regression collapses the moment one steps outside social-media SoundBits and examines realities on ground.

Kano is not declining. Kano is undergoing a deliberate, people-centred rebuilding process whose results are increasingly evident.

Infrastructure: Development You Can See, Not Just Talk About - One of the loudest claims of regression is that Kano’s infrastructure has stalled. This is demonstrably false. Across the metropolis and major towns, rehabilitated and newly constructed roads have eased mobility, reduced travel time and revived commercial activity. Key corridors that had been abandoned for years are now traversable, while drainage rehabilitation and urban renewal projects are reshaping the physical outlook of the city.

Beyond roads, the approval of multi-billion-naira capital projects covering public buildings, traffic management systems and utilities reflects a government investing in long-term infrastructure rather than cosmetic gestures. Development is no longer theoretical; it is concrete, asphalt and steel, experienced daily by commuters, traders and residents.

Education: Strategic Investment, Not Empty Promises - Perhaps the most misleading aspect of the regression narrative is its dismissal of progress in education. The Kano State Government has made education a cornerstone of governance, committing an unprecedented share of its budget to the sector.

This investment is translating into renovation of dilapidated schools, recruitment of qualified teachers, provision of learning materials and strengthening of basic, secondary and technical education.

These are not symbolic actions. They represent a strategic reversal of years of decay and laying the foundation for human capital development. External recognition of Kano’s education reforms further affirms that this progress is real, measurable and nationally acknowledged.

Healthcare: From Neglect to Recognition - Claims of collapsing healthcare ignore the tangible reforms already implemented. Health facilities across the state have been rehabilitated and re-equipped, while hundreds of medical professionals have been recruited to improve service delivery.

Most significantly, Kano has taken bold institutional steps by establishing a subnational disease control centre, strengthening epidemic preparedness and public health surveillance.

These reforms have attracted national commendations from professional bodies - an outcome impossible in a system supposedly “in reverse.”

Economic Empowerment and Social Impact - Development is not only about physical structures; it is about people’s livelihoods. Across Kano, empowerment initiatives targeting women, youths, artisans and small-scale entrepreneurs are improving household incomes and economic resilience. Livestock distribution, skills training and micro-enterprise support are helping thousands move from dependency to productivity.

Equally important is the settlement of pension and gratuity backlogs, restoring dignity and financial stability to retirees who had long been neglected. These interventions directly contradict any claim of social regression.

Awards and External Validation: Beyond Self-Praise - Development narratives are best tested through independent validation. Kano’s recent national and continental recognitions for governance, education and healthcare reforms did not emerge from political propaganda but from assessments by external institutions. Such recognition reinforces a simple truth: progress is occurring and it is being noticed beyond Kano’s political divide.

Context Matters: Politics Is Not Performance - It is important to acknowledge that much of the “development in reverse” argument is rooted in political positioning rather than objective analysis. While scrutiny of government is healthy and necessary, it must be anchored in fairness and full context. Selective use of partial data, or early-year budget figures without lifecycle understanding, is not analysis - it is distortion.

Conclusion: Evidence Over Emotion - The claim that Kano’s development is regressing does not survive contact with reality. Roads are being rebuilt; schools are being revived; hospitals are functioning better; citizens are being empowered and Institutions are being strengthened.

Disagreement is legitimate in a democracy, but facts remain stubborn matters and those facts show that Kano’s development trajectory is forward-looking, people-focused and increasingly visible.

Kano is not in reverse. Kano is rebuilding - deliberately, steadily, and unmistakably.

This rejoinder was written by Barrister Aminu Hussaini - Special Adviser to the Governor of Kano State - AKY on Justice/Constitutional Matters - +234 8033742424 – aminuhussaini173@gmail.com