Rural dwellers in Kano State, Northwest Nigeria, have decried the imbalance in the allocation of the state’s developmental projects.
Recall that the Kano State Executive Council gave the green light for a massive allocation of 40,353,117,070 billion Naira for diverse developmental projects.
However, a staggering 99% of these projects are primarily focused on the metropolitan areas of Kano, sparking discontent among residents from rural communities who feel sidelined and neglected in the allocation of developmental initiatives.
Voicing their grievances to Daily News24, residents from these rural areas expressed their dissatisfaction, emphasising a deep-seated concern about the lack of attention and developmental projects allocated to their communities.
The State Commissioner of Information and Internal Affairs, Baba Halilu Dantiye, outlined the allocation of funds for various projects in the metropolitan areas.
Significant amounts were earmarked for the construction of flyovers, road networks, and healthcare facilities in urban areas. However, only two road projects were allocated for rural areas, according to the released statement.
In an interview with a local community resident, Salisu Adamu from Dan Isa village of Rimin Gado local government, he said, “We are facing many challenges. First, we don’t have roads, and we don’t have water from Agalawa to Dan Isa. Each administration promises to do it, but they don’t. We are pleading for the government to help us do it, and we don’t have electricity.”
A local farmer, Aminu from Tofa local government, emphasised the need for development in their communities, expressing, “We have road challenges from Tofa to Tuga; if there’s rainfall, we can’t cross.”
Another one said, “As indirgense of Kano state, we voted Abba Gida-Gida to help us. From Bichi local government, Gana village, we don’t have school, our schools are in miserable conditions, and our roads are awaiting completion. Since even primary health care we don’t have, you must go to Saye ward or Bichi, which is too far for us. If we have sick people at night, how are we going to do?”
The sentiment across these rural communities is that their contributions to the state’s economy and their fundamental needs have been overlooked in the recent developmental project allocations, drawing attention to the pressing need for more equitable resource distribution.
As the state moves forward with these projects, residents hope for a fairer allocation of developmental initiatives that would benefit both urban and rural communities in Kano.
