Ganduje in the eyes of social media

The Kano state governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has been identified by social media activists as an indispensable fan since inception of his regime. This is supported with pictorials of the various infrastructure put in place by the regime, a transparent reference for them to use in encouraging developmental progress in their own environments.

The social media has for long identified and announced the Governor, who they otherwise refer to as the “Working Machine” as the best performing governor even beyond the North West Zone.

Social Media platforms have served as places of promoting the activities of the governor especially when he instituted the skill acquisition project where thousands of youths, males and females, have benefited from the project. One outstanding of all the projects was when he trained thousands of auto mechanics and provided them with the required tools and environments to practice. This became an issue that was widely talked about on social media. It was, in fact, the first time females were trained as auto mechanics in Kano.

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Kano is called the commercial nerve centre of the north. But it is beyond that because the commercial activities in Kano extend to the entire West Africa. People travel thousands of kilometers to come and trade in Kano.

Beyond the last census exercise conducted in Nigeria, Kano is estimated to be approaching a population of 20 million  people making it the most populated state in Nigeria. 

The metropolitan part of the state is made up of nine local government areas out of the total of forty-four.

The Kano state Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has declared that Kano is converting to a mega city as such requires the necessary features of such. Apart from social amenities there are also health amenities, transportation plans, infrastructure, like road networks, rail transport, housing facilities and a host of others.

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These essential facilities are produced sufficiently to meet with and satisfy the population demand and its growth expectation. 

For instance, there should be sufficient supply of power to efficiently attract investors. Based on the ongoing system of Transmission and Distribution of electricity, Kano only receives 8 percent of the entire power generated in Nigeria even as it is being shortchanged. This is revealed by the Distribution company catering for Kano. Hence more is expected in Kano to meet its target of becoming a mega city. To achieve this, the state has invested in the generation of hydro electricity at places like Tiga Dam to generate electricity in the state scheme to support the industries in the state.

The governor has since divided the Kano Emirate into five as a way of expanding development and reaching out to the grassroots. The new Emirates created out of the old one include Rano, Karaye, Bichi, Gaya and the Kano Emirate. This will serve as a way of balancing developmental plans to the grassroots that include roads constructions and the building of general hospitals in all of the emirates which has since been added to the 2021 budget recently presented to the State Assembly by the governor.

With the outburst in population and an increase in the number of children in Kano state, Ganduje introduced a free system of education for all in the state from primary to secondary schools and up to tertiary for those who are physically challenged. This has widely attracted the attention of social media, that the activities have at certain times gone viral. In fact, some non governmental organizations have made it an issue of discussion which they also try to promote in other states. 

Governor Ganduje has placed Kano on the path of becoming a mega city by the construction of underpasses, surface roads and flyovers in strategically populated areas of the state, a developmental pattern that has widely controlled vehicular traffic in the state. Video clips of these infrastructure have since become part of the site and sounds of the bustles of the commercial city of Kano.

Another thing that the social media has made an issue of is that of the health sector which Governor Ganduje has taken above the level of other states in the country. The Muhammadu Buhari Cancer Center is the biggest ever in Nigeria that can provide the necessary cancer treatment for patients. Ganduje has put in place the necessary machinery in the hospital that has not been put anywhere across Nigeria. 

Indeed there are negative views being propagated on the Governor by some individuals for their personal reasons, but the width with which the social media has taken Governor Ganduje has rendered those negativities obsolete and ineffective.

One other important issue about how the social  media views Governor Ganduje is on the issue of security. Kano has turned out to become the most secure state in the north so far. Much has been identified as contributing towards security in Kano, part of which is the governor’s commitment to ensuring the right thing is done at the right time. 

Indeed it is never an error to say that the social media will for long continue to view Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje as not only the best performing governor in Nigeria, but also the most popular among activists on social media. It will certainly take a very long period of time before another governor can perform as to attract the attention of the social media as did Governor Ganduje.

Abubakar is the Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.