Dr. Tijjani Sarki

 COMMISSIONER SAGAGI’S VISIT MUST SPARK REAL CHANGE IN KANO’S URBAN AND ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE By Tijjani Sarki Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst August 27, 2025 The recent visit by the Honorable Commissioner of Commerce, Hon. Gwani Shehu Sagagi, to the Ministry of Land and Physical Planning under Hon. Abduljabbar Umar marks a critical turning point or at least it should in Kano State’s approach to economic development and urban planning. It is a move worth commending, and one that should spark not just hope, but action. Yet, while we appreciate the intent and potential of this strategic meeting, we must confront a hard truth, it is deeply unfortunate and frankly unacceptable that Kano Metropolis, home to the state capital and at least eight local governments, cannot boast of a single standard, medium-scale market. Worse still, many of the once-thriving industrial layouts in areas like Sharada have tragically morphed into warehouses, guest houses, or event centres a fa...

 AFTER NAMADI’S EXIT:TIME TO RECLAIM AND REBUILD KANO’S TROUBLED TRANSPORT SECTOR By Tijjani Sarki Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst Writing from ZAWACIKI, Kano 7th August, 2025 Now that the embattled Alhaji Ibrahim Namadi has resigned as Honourable Commissioner of Transport, one thing is clear,the transport sector in Kano is in urgent need of a reset. But with his exit comes a rare opportunity for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to take bold action and reposition a ministry that has been crippled by internal dysfunction, allegations of incompetence, and a backlog of critical memos. Despite being publicly criticized as incompetent, Namadi submitted over 30 official memos to the governor, many allegedly ignored, sidelined, or marked “KIV” (Keep In View). If those memos were worthless, why were they not outright rejected? And if they contained sound policy proposals, why were they left to gather dust while the people suffer? To complicate matters further, Permanent Secreta...

 RELOCATION COMMENDED, BUT KURMAWA MUSEUM PLAN MISGUIDED: RETURN TO GIRLS’ EDUCATION VISION NEEDED BY Tijjani Sarki Good Governance Advocate and  Public Policy ananlyst  The recent announcement by the Kano State Government to convert the historic Kurmawa Maximum Security Prison into a museum has stirred a mixture of emotion and concern in the hearts of many. As a proud indigene of Kano and a concerned citizen, I feel compelled to speak out not in opposition to preserving our history, but in questioning the wisdom of this particular move. Kurmawa Prison, built in 1910 by the British colonial government within the revered grounds of the Kano Emir’s Palace, is undeniably a significant colonial relic. For over a century, it has stood not just as a correctional facility but as a symbol of the imposition of foreign rule on our people,a painful but important reminder of our past. However, transforming this space into a museum at this moment raises serious concerns about our prio...

 WHEN THE LAW FAILS THE PEOPLE: A NECESSARY RESPONSE TO THE ADVISORY AGAINST CREATING KANO STATE DRUG CONTROL AGENCY By Tijjani Sarki Good Governance Advocate & Public Policy Analyst 15th August 2025 I did not set out to write this. But after reading the “Polite Advisory” addressed to His Excellency, the Governor of Kano State, dated 14th August 2025, authored by Pharmacist Ahmed Ibrahim Umar, I feel morally and publicly compelled to respond not as a legal adversary, but as a fellow Nigerian who is tired of seeing our people, especially the youth, being consumed by the monster of drug abuse while we debate legal technicalities. This is personal. I have been directly involved in the multi-stakeholder effort to establish the Kano State Drugs and Substance Abuse Control Agency  from policy drafting to advocacy to legislative engagement. And I know that this is not just a legal debate,it is a fight for survival. Yes, the advisory is respectful, professional, and technically co...

 TRANSPORT IS LIFE: KANO CAN NOT BREATHE WITHOUT IT THE URGENT CALL TO RESCUE A CITY’S FUTURE By Tijjani Sarki Good Governance Advocate & Public Policy Analyst Kano’s transport system is in crisis not because of a lack of vision, planning, or support, but because of a consistent failure to implement. Over the past decade, more than 20 detailed technical studies, strategic reports, and development frameworks have been produced for Kano’s transport sector including the most recent and comprehensive 2024 Transport Sector Dialogue Report. These documents represent more than just paper. They provide clear, actionable solutions from regulatory reform to climate-conscious transit planning  ready for deployment. With the right leadership and technical expertise, Kano is not just ready to bounce back, it is positioned to experience unprecedented rapid growth, becoming a model city not just for Northern Nigeria, but for the entire nation. Yet, one core issue continues to cripple pro...

 An Open Letter to the Executive Governor of Kano State: A Call for Justice and Action Over the Killing of Our Youths in Benue State Your Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, Executive Governor of Kano State. Sir, With a heart weighed down by grief and a soul stirred by sorrow, I write to bring to your urgent attention a painful and tragic development the killing of two innocent youths from Kano State in  Benue state. The news of this cruel loss has sent waves of anguish across every corner of our beloved state. We are mourning, we are in shock, and we are in desperate need of justice. These young men were not strangers to us. They were sons of Kano, full of hopes, aspirations, and dreams like every youth born of this noble state. Their lives were filled with promise,until it was brutally and unjustly ended in a land far from home. This is more than an unfortunate event, it is a tragedy that strikes at the heart of every parent, every neighbor, and every leader who holds the s...

 DIGNITY DIES AT THE MOTOR PARK: A Cry for Justice in Kano's Transport Sector By Tijjani Sarki  Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst 17th July, 2025 Kano State  the proud heartbeat of commerce in Northern Nigeria  is bleeding from the inside. Its once-organized, respected transport system has crumbled into chaos. What used to be a symbol of structure and movement is now a wasteland of neglect, filth, and human suffering. It is not just a crisis of infrastructure, but a betrayal of public trust a betrayal that should make every leader in the state lose sleep. Today, a visit to any major motor park in Kano does not just evoke disappointment it breaks the spirit. From Kofar Ruwa to Naibawa, Unguwa Uku to Mariri, Dorawar Na’Abba to Rijiyar Zaki, Mallam Kato to Hadejia Road  the scenes are the same, unbearable squalor, disorganization, and a total collapse of basic dignity. There is no pride left. Not a single motor park in Kano can boast of clean toile...

 HEALING THE HEART OF KANO: United We Secure, Divided We Bleed. By Tijjani Sarki, Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst In the bustling heart of Northern Nigeria, where the ancient walls of Kano still whisper the glories of trade and culture, a new and heartbreaking cry rises through the alleyways and crowded markets the cry of insecurity. What began as isolated acts of phone snatching and street thuggery has now grown into a devastating epidemic, casting a dark shadow over the future of this once-thriving commercial capital. On Monday, 14th July 2025, I was privileged to attend a one-day stakeholders’ interaction meeting a courageous initiative brought forth by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in partnership with the Kano State Government. But it was more than just a meeting. It was a mirror held up to the soul of our city a mirror reflecting pain, frustration, and a glimmer of hope. A gathering of hearts torn by grief but united by purpose. We were not just discuss...

 REJOINDER: NAMING WITHOUT THOUGHT  A DISSERVICE TO NATIONAL LEGACY AND INSTITUTIONAL INTEGRITY By Tijjani Sarki Good Governance Advocate & Public Policy Analyst July 18, 2025 In these times of great national uncertainty and civic restlessness, one would expect our leaders to act with foresight, empathy, and integrity. Yet, the recent wave of renaming public institutions particularly universities paints a worrying picture of political tone-deafness and historical erasure. I join my voice firmly and unapologetically with that of Dr. Umar Ardo, who rightly criticized the decision to rename the University of Maiduguri as "Muhammadu Buhari University." Let’s be brutally honest, this is not about honour it is about political image-laundering. It is about rewriting narratives for personal glorification, with no regard for logic, legacy, or national sentiment. Naming a public institution especially a university is not and should never be a casual political gesture. It is a natio...

 FLOODING IN KANO STATE ROADS AND MARKETS: A TRAGEDY ROOTED IN INDISCIPLINE AND NEGLECT By Tijjani Sarki | Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst Zawaciki, Kano. 17th July 2025 Every rainy season in Kano no longer feels like a cycle of life it feels like a curse we’ve invited with our own hands. With every storm, traders watch their livelihoods destroyed. Commuters wade through stagnant water, children miss school, and entire families wake to their homes swallowed by floods. Year after year, the same pain. The same losses. And still no real change. This tragedy is the bitter harvest of years of policy neglect and maladministration, where poor urban planning and weak governance have left us vulnerable and exposed. A Man-Made Disaster: We must stop pointing fingers at the skies. These floods are not a punishment from above they are the direct result of our negligence, our indiscipline, and our failure to uphold even the most basic civic responsibilities. We have allowed c...

 NATION IN CRITICAL CONDITION: THE SHAMEFUL ABANDONMENT OF NIGERIA’S HEALTH SECTOR BY ITS LEADERS By Tijjani Sarki – Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst July 20, 2025 It is with deep sorrow and patriotic anguish that I write not merely as a concerned citizen, but as someone who has long advocated for good governance and functional public institutions. Nigeria, a nation endowed with intellect and resources, is now gripped by a crisis graver than inflation or political instability. It is a crisis of conscience marked by systemic neglect and abandonment of our healthcare sector. From health posts in remote villages to tertiary hospitals in our cities, the decay is both staggering and shameful. Teaching hospitals once bastions of medical excellence now struggle with outdated equipment and a lack of basic diagnostic tools. Institutions meant to train future medical professionals have become shadows of themselves, stifled by chronic underfunding and mismanagement. Our medi...

 OPEN LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY, THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF KANO STATE  TURNING A MOMENT OF SHOCK INTO A MOVEMENT FOR REFORM SECURING THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION IN KANO By Tijjani Sarki, Good Governance and Public Policy Analyst  29th July 2025 Your Excellency, Sir I extend to you my highest regard and sincere commendation for your recent unannounced inspection of Government Technical College and Day Science College in Kano  an action prompted by a viral video from a vigilant citizen, Danbello. Your swift response and physical presence on the ground demonstrate a rare and admirable model of responsive leadership the kind that restores public trust and redefines the relationship between the government and the governed. This was not merely a visit it was a message. A signal that your administration will not tolerate negligence, and that education in Kano State is not to be managed in the shadows. RECOGNIZING THE STRIDES TAKEN SO FAR: Permit me to acknowledge and commend you...

 ENOUGH IS ENOUGH: WE STAND WITH ALHAJI BASHIR DALHATU  THE NORTH DESERVES BETTER IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE BOLD, COURAGEOUS SPEECH BY THE BOT CHAIRMAN OF ACF ON THE NEGLECT AND DISREGARD OF NORTHERN NIGERIA By Tijjani Sarki, writing from Zawaciki, Kano July 30, 2025 History will remember the moment when truth finally shattered the walls of silence. At a time when political leaders shrink from reality and bury national injustice under polite smiles, Alhaji Bashir M. Dalhatu, Wazirin Dutse and Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), rose as a true patriot. His speech at Arewa House in Kaduna was more than a presentation  it was an awakening, a mirror to the soul of a neglected North, and a call to conscience. And let it be stated loud and clear. WE STAND WITH HIM. WE STAND FOR THE NORTH. A PRESIDENT CARRIED BY THE NORTH... NOW LOOKING THE OTHER WAY? The numbers speak for themselves over 64% of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s total votes came from the ...

 THE MENACE WE BRED: A REFLECTION ON OUR COLLECTIVE FAILURE By Tijjani Sarki | Zawaciki, Kano 3rd August, 2025 In powerful agreement and yet, in deep sorrow with the piercing questions raised by Al-Amin Isa, I feel burdened to go further, to ask not just who are these people? but rather. How did we allow this to happen? How did our own become strangers to us violent, lost, and enraged? The menace destroying our homes, our schools, and our peace did not fall from the sky. We created it. We fed it. We looked away while it grew. And now, we are living in its shadow. 1. PARENTAL NEGLECT: WHEN THE HOME LOSES ITS SOUL Before we blame society, let us turn to where it all begins,the home. A child’s first moral lesson is not in a textbook it is in a parent's presence, their words, their warmth. But what happens when homes become transit camps? When gadgets replace guidance, and TikTok becomes a tutor? Today, many children are raised by screens, not parents. We gave them entertainment, but n...

 AFTER NAMADI’S EXIT:TIME TO RECLAIM AND REBUILD KANO’S TROUBLED TRANSPORT SECTOR By Tijjani Sarki Good Governance Advocate and Public Policy Analyst Writing from ZAWACIKI, Kano 7th August, 2025 Now that the embattled Alhaji Ibrahim Namadi has resigned as Honourable Commissioner of Transport, one thing is clear,the transport sector in Kano is in urgent need of a reset. But with his exit comes a rare opportunity for Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to take bold action and reposition a ministry that has been crippled by internal dysfunction, allegations of incompetence, and a backlog of critical memos. Despite being publicly criticized as incompetent, Namadi submitted over 30 official memos to the governor, many allegedly ignored, sidelined, or marked “KIV” (Keep In View). If those memos were worthless, why were they not outright rejected? And if they contained sound policy proposals, why were they left to gather dust while the people suffer? To complicate matters further, Permanent Secreta...

 PROFESSIONALISM WITH PURPOSE: THE QUIET REVOLUTION LED BY WAIYA AND BACKED BY GOV.  ABBA K.YUSUF A NEW DAWN FOR KANO STATE’S INFORMATION OFFICERS By: Tijjani Sarki Eye on Kano Initiative August 7, 2025 In an era where governance demands more than routine administration, true leadership lies in the courage to innovate, the wisdom to invest in people, and the drive to create lasting impact. This is precisely what Honourable Commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Comrade Ibrahim Abdullahi Waiya, has delivered through his transformative efforts to elevate the educational and professional standards of information officers across Kano State’s 44 local government areas. This initiative is far from a bureaucratic routine,it is a bold shift anchored in the belief that knowledge is not just power, but the engine of development. Commissioner Waiya’s decision to organize an intensive capacity-building workshop for ministry staff, zonal officers, and political appointees such ...

 PRESS RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 12, 2025 FROM: HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH FOUNDATION, NIGERIA CONTACT: TIJJANI SARKI, VICE PRESIDENT EMAIL: info@hrwn.ng  SUBJECT: THE COMFORT EMMANSON CASE, A NATIONAL DISGRACE AND A BRUTAL VIOLATION OF HUMAN DIGNITY The Human Rights Watch Foundation, Nigeria, condemns in the strongest possible terms the inhumane treatment, public humiliation, and unlawful detention of MS. COMFORT EMMANSON, following an incident aboard Ibom Air flight Q9 303 on August 10, 2025. What should have been a routine enforcement of flight protocol has become a symbol of systemic abuse, deliberate dehumanization, and a disgraceful breach of fundamental human rights. FROM PASSENGER TO PREY: THE SHAMEFUL DESCENT INTO ABUSE Eyewitness accounts and video evidence confirm that Ms. Emmanson remained calm during the initial confrontation regarding her mobile phone. Yet, following the flight's landing, she was subjected to a violent and disproportionate response by both Ibom Air Staff and ...

 FIX WHAT’S BROKEN BEFORE BUILDING : THE URGENT NEED FOR TERTIARY EDUCATION REFORM By Tijjani Sarki Good Governance and Public Policy Analyst  14th August 2025 Nigeria’s tertiary education system is in crisis. While millions of young Nigerians hope for access to quality education, our universities, polytechnics, and colleges are plagued by inadequate infrastructure, poor staffing, and insufficient funding. Against this backdrop, the Federal Executive Council’s (FEC) recent decision to suspend the indiscriminate establishment of new tertiary institutions is not only timely, it is necessary. As the Minister of Education rightly warned, “expansion without consolidation” poses a real threat to the quality and sustainability of our education system. That’s not just a cautionary statement, it’s a national reality we can no longer ignore. For years, governments have announced new institutions as political tokens, even while existing ones are neglected. The 12 federal universities set...