FIC Report (Kano State) – The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Media and Public Enlightenment, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, has said that the Federal Government’s proposed irrigation project and the Kano State Government’s hydropower scheme at the Challawa Gorge Dam will significantly improve the socio-economic well-being of the people of Kano State.
Abdulaziz made the assertion while leading a delegation of journalists on an inspection tour of major Federal and Kano State Government development projects across the state.
The inspection tour was organised as part of the activities of the Arewa Media Summit by the Office of the SSA to the President on Media and Public Enlightenment.
The initiative was designed to expose media practitioners to strategic development projects being implemented by both the Federal and Kano State Governments, while providing them with firsthand information on their expected impact on the daily lives of citizens.
Speaking during the visit to the Challawa Gorge Dam in Karaye Local Government Area, Abdulaziz described the hydropower and irrigation projects as strategic investments that would enhance energy supply, boost agricultural productivity, create jobs, and stimulate sustainable economic growth.
He explained that the hydropower project being executed by the Kano State Government would strengthen electricity supply to water treatment facilities, thereby improving the production and distribution of potable water to millions of residents across the state.
According to him, the Federal Government’s irrigation initiative at the dam will unlock vast agricultural potential by expanding dry-season farming, increasing crop yields, improving farmers’ incomes, creating thousands of direct and indirect employment opportunities, and contributing significantly to food security and economic prosperity.
Briefing the delegation, the Managing Director of the Kano Hydroelectric Power Company (KHEDCO), Engineer Ado Ibrahim Doguwa, disclosed that work on the hydropower project had reached an advanced stage and assured that the facility would soon be completed and commissioned.
He explained that the project would provide reliable electricity to critical water treatment facilities, thereby enhancing the efficiency of water production and distribution across Kano State.
As part of the inspection exercise, the delegation also visited the Renewed Hope Housing Estate at Janguza, where they inspected the 698 housing units completed under the first phase of the project, as well as 425 housing units currently under construction under the second phase.
The journalists also inspected the ongoing Kano–Maradi Railway and Kano–Dutse Railway projects, both of which are expected to strengthen regional connectivity, facilitate trade and commerce, reduce transportation costs, and stimulate economic development across Northern Nigeria.
The delegation further visited the permanent site of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), where construction is ongoing on the Sustainable and Emerging Technology Development Institute (SETDI), an Artificial Intelligence and emerging technologies training centre located within the new Bayero University Kano campus.
The institute is expected to equip Nigerian youths with cutting-edge digital and technological skills required to thrive in the global knowledge economy.
The inspection tour underscored the commitment of the Federal Government to promoting transparency, public awareness, and citizen engagement by giving journalists firsthand access to transformative projects aimed at improving infrastructure, creating economic opportunities and enhancing the quality of life of Nigerians.
Signed:
Muazu Mukhtar AD
KANO FIC.
