By Usman Usman Garba
The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Hajiya Amina Mohammed, has hailed the Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, for what she described as “remarkable strides” in social development and his commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mohammed, who was in Kano over the weekend, stated this while paying a condolence visit to the government and people of the state over the death of elder statesman Alhaji Aminu Alhassan Dantata and former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking during the visit, the UN deputy scribe commended several of Governor Yusuf’s initiatives aimed at improving quality of life and aligning Kano’s development with global SDG targets.
“These include the solarisation of public streets, the creation of the Kano Centre for Disease Control – the first of its kind by any state government in Nigeria – and the expansion of health insurance to cover those in the informal sector,” she said.
She also lauded the establishment of the state’s Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy, and the repositioning of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, describing them as key steps toward building resilience and environmental sustainability.
Mohammed stressed that her visit was not just to condole, but to deepen advocacy on the SDGs and strengthen partnerships between the UN and Kano State.
She said, “Kano is like a country, and it should be treated as such in terms of development support.”
The UN official also briefed the governor on the upcoming UN Business and Investment Forum and expressed satisfaction with Kano’s efforts in women’s empowerment, job creation, and climate-conscious governance.
In his remarks, Governor Yusuf thanked the UN for its ongoing support and reiterated the state’s commitment to collaborative development.
“Our administration is ready to partner with UN agencies, especially in areas like education, healthcare, climate action, environmental protection, and sustainable investment,” Yusuf said.
He added that the state remained focused on implementing policies that would uplift the lives of its residents and align with broader global development efforts.
