Kano State Governor Abba Yusuf has announced the creation of two new ministries as part of a comprehensive strategy to combat violent extremism, banditry, and kidnapping in the state.
The Governor revealed this development during a visit from a delegation led by Mairo Abbas, Director of Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism at the National Counter Terrorism Centre, and Suwaiba Muhammad, Deputy Country Director of ActionAid Nigeria.
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Governor Yusuf, represented by Dr. Abdullahi Baffa Bichi, Secretary to the State Government, stated that the establishment of the Ministry of Humanitarian and Poverty Eradication and the Ministry of Internal Security and Special Services is central to the state’s approach to tackling these issues.
“We have established two new ministries,” Yusuf explained. “The Ministry of Humanitarian and Poverty Eradication will address humanitarian issues and poverty, while the Ministry of Internal Security and Special Services will complement federal efforts in combating insecurity and violent extremism.”
The Governor emphasized that these new ministries are designed to provide quick responses to humanitarian needs and to strengthen the state’s efforts against crime and extremism. “These ministries are crucial to implementing our preventive measures and tackling the root causes of violence and crime in Kano State,” he added.
In addition to the new ministries, Governor Yusuf highlighted other initiatives aimed at reducing crime, including empowerment programs for women and youth and a state of emergency in the education sector. He assured that the state government is committed to working with the Office of the National Security Adviser and ActionAid Nigeria to enhance community resilience against violent extremism across all 44 Local Government Areas of Kano State.
Mairo Abbas from the National Counter Terrorism Centre emphasized the importance of collaboration with the state government to scale up existing initiatives.
Suwaiba Dankabo of ActionAid Nigeria noted that their project consortium, Systems and Structure Strengthening Approach Against Radicalization to Violent Extremism (SARVE III), has been successful in building community resilience in several local governments and communities within Kano State. Additional grants are now available to further these efforts with support from the National Security Adviser’s office.
