Jigawa @30: What future do we plan for ourselves in the next thirty & How do we deliver it?

Jigawa is 30 years on Friday, 27th August, 2021….

What future do we plan for ourselves in the next thirty & How do we deliver it?

“…Jigawa today is probably among the five poorest states in the country with one of the lowest literacy index ( third from the bottom in the WASSCE results for two consecutive years), high maternal deaths and infant mortality. Seven hundred and seventy five thousand of our children are out of school children, most of them unfortunately girls who shall bear the future generation.

We are among the top three states losing their land to desert encroachment with all it’s attendant consequences on subsistence farming and animal husbandry (the two major drivers of our GDP), food security and poverty. Family nutrition, dependency ratio and female literacy remain one of the worst in the world.

With our population of about 6 million; 3 million of which are under 30yrs, reasonably educated and capable, the youths in Jigawa can, in the next 30yrs, initiate a possible sub revolution that can effectively change this sad reality and reverse the fortune of the state

Specifically, with an estimated landmass of about 22,410 square kilometres, adequate international boundary, modern airport, about 250km of railway track, impressive road network, three new universities, a teaching hospital, three polytechnics, an informatics institute, a historic college of education, schools of nursing and health technology and a reputation for peace, Jigawa, can with the right mind-set, daring ideas and patriotism generate a self sustaining prosperity compared to many sovereign territories around the world.

It’s diverse and rich landscape comprising of all the savannah types (guinea, sahel and sudan), expansive and extensive network of wetlands, bird sanctuaries, rock formations and planes can provide Nigeria with a significant fraction of it’s food’s demand, earn foreign exchange, and host all the cattle colonies in Nigeria. In fact, with such endowments, Jigawa is a potential international tourism sensation that can support various chains of hospitality and agro allied based industries and services

I am of the strong believe and conviction that our generation can, within our lifetime, realistically deliver this ‘NEW WORLD’ at the national stage and launch it’s economy at both the regional and continental levels.

All that is required in the short to medium term is the right collective mind-set and consensus, strategic vision, clinical planning and deliberate political actions to completely modernise our education, health, local economy and environment over the next 30yrs….”

Join me, among other speakers by 10am on Thursday, 26th August, 2021 @ Sir Ahmed Bello Hall, State Secretariat, Dutse to deliberate on how.