Jigawa At 34: The Poetry Of Progress, The Philosophy Of Responsibility

Thirty-four years successful the beingness of a authorities is similar a stream carving its mode done rocks; steady, patient, sometimes turbulent, yet ever forward. Jigawa, calved connected that fateful Tuesday, 27th August 1991, retired of Kano’s representation and skepticism, was erstwhile dismissed arsenic barren onshore with small anticipation of survival. Some mocked it arsenic a specified “civil work state,” others doubted whether it could wage salaries, fto unsocial physique an economy.

Yet, arsenic the calendar marks 34 years, the communicative has changed. Jigawa has risen with quiescent resilience to go 1 of the astir peaceful and administratively unchangeable states successful Nigeria.

The aboriginal years were defined by scarcity. The archetypal subject administrator, Colonel Olayinka Sule, is remembered for lamenting that helium inherited “only 1 ceramic house.” That connection captured the world of Jigawa’s beginning: a authorities without structures, institutions, oregon resources. Roads were scarce, schools excessively few, and hospitals hardly functional. Yet the radical endured, and leaders improvised. Colonel Ibrahim Aliyu, who followed, acceptable successful question the archetypal structures of governance, laying the instauration of ministries and section councils. To many, those years felt similar planting seeds successful adust ground, but they were indispensable steps successful the agelong travel of becoming.

With the instrumentality of civilian regularisation successful 1999, Ibrahim Saminu Turaki stepped successful arsenic the archetypal elected governor. His medication invested successful fiscal reforms, introducing measures to grow internally generated gross and experimentation with caller public-private partnerships. Though his tenure was not without controversies, helium carved retired a fiscal pathway that reduced the dependency connected national allocation. After him came Sule Lamido, whose 8 years brought a caller consciousness of pridefulness to Jigawa. Lamido, influenced by his socialist leaning, embarked connected monolithic infrastructural transformation—roads, schools, hospitals, and lodging projects. He established the Jigawa State University astatine Kafin Hausa, expanded Dutse Airport, and made the superior a hub of activity. He besides became known for his reforms successful nationalist service, branding Jigawa arsenic 1 of the fewer states with comparative transparency successful nationalist finance.

After Lamido came Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, fondly called “Baba Mai Calculator.” His tenure emphasized prudence, continuity, and agrarian development. He is remembered for expanding roadworthy projects, completing h2o schemes, and paying attraction to cultivation reforms. Under him, Jigawa consolidated its estimation arsenic a authorities that avoided reckless borrowing and maintained fiscal discipline. His 8 years were defined by calm governance, with Jigawa lasting retired successful a state often shaken by governmental turbulence.
Today, Governor Umar A. Namadi continues from wherever his predecessors stopped. At the 34th day celebration, helium spoke with some gratitude and resolve. He reminded his assemblage that Jigawa’s communicative is not astir individuals but astir a radical who endured hardship, believed successful progress, and built a authorities from near-nothing. “With profound gratitude to Allah SWT,” helium said, “I americium delighted to basal among our past leaders and our radical connected this historical day. From the bereft presumption of 1991, Jigawa has travel of age. It has not been a creaseless journey, but an arduous 1 marked by sacrifice, resilience, and disciplined leadership.” His words carried the value of past arsenic helium acknowledged the contributions of his predecessors—military and civilian alike—and framed his medication arsenic different nexus successful the concatenation of continuity.

On Wednesday, 27th August 2025, the State capital, Dutse, became a theatre of gratitude and reflection. Past governors, elder statesmen, accepted rulers, academicians, and citizens converged not simply to observe a date, but to affirm the doctrine of unity—that leadership, successful its truest form, is simply a relay wherever each handoff builds a greater tomorrow. The Shekoni, successful words that carried some humility and grandeur, captured the essence of the time erstwhile helium declared:

“With profound gratitude to Allah SWT, I americium highly delighted for having the privilege of being successful the midst of each the highly notable individuals present present, who person greatly contributed to the making of our beloved State of Jigawa. In particular, I americium genuinely highly honoured and humbled by the beingness of each the past leaders that person recovered clip to beryllium with america present contiguous to grace this auspicious and memorable juncture of the 34th Anniversary of the Creation of Jigawa State. We astir profoundly convey Allah SWT, by Whose grace, mercy and benevolence, you are each opportune to beryllium with america present contiguous to people the occasion.”

His words reminded the gathering that Jigawa is not the accomplishment of 1 antheral oregon 1 authorities but a corporate labour of leaders, elites, and citizens alike. In a infinitesimal that stilled the hall, the Emir of...