Presidential aide lists campaign promises fulfilled in Jigawa as residents speak on Tinubu’s visit

A media aide to President Bola Tinubu has listed some of the campaign promises the president has fulfilled ahead of his Tuesday reelection campaign rally in Jigawa State.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, Abdulaziz Abdulaziz, said the administration has delivered on its campaign promises to the state, making the case for the president’s re-election in 2027.

Mr Abdulaziz made this known while addressing journalists in Dutse on the eve of the president’s arrival.

Mr Abdulaziz noted that President Tinubu has maintained decades-long ties with political leaders across Jigawa State and continues to hold the leaders and the citizens in high esteem.

He recalled that during the 2022 presidential campaign tour, the late Emir of Dutse, Nuhu Muhammad-Sanusi, personally appealed for the execution of the Dutse Greater Water Project to tackle chronic water scarcity in the state capital.

Mr Abdulaziz explained that the water project, costing about N50 billion, is being sourced from the Siltilmawa community in Ringim LGA to Dutse and is nearing completion.

Mr Abdulaziz said the federal government has prioritised completing inherited and strategic arterial routes to ease commerce and drive socio-economic growth.

He identified the key transport projects currently underway or advanced, including the Kwanar Danja–Tsalle–Hadejia Road, now at the 75 per cent completion stage

The Kunya–Kanya–Babura–Babban Mutum Road is now 82 per cent complete, and the Kano–Maiduguri expressway corridor is also about to be completed, along with strategic rail infrastructure, notably the Kano–Maradi rail line corridor and the Kano–Shuwarin rail link

Mr Abdulaziz emphasised that the administration’s Renewed Hope Housing Scheme is transforming Jigawa’s landscape; key initiatives include a 1,500-unit housing scheme and designated Renewed Hope Estates across Dutse and surrounding Local Government Areas (LGAs), providing civil servants and vulnerable families with access to affordable homeownership.

On agriculture and food security, he said hundreds of thousands of local farmers have benefited from subsidised inputs and targeted federal interventions.

These include 120,000 hectares cultivated under the national dry-season wheat initiative, 1,042 hectares dedicated to date palm development, the Jahun drainage and irrigation scheme, and the distribution of farm machinery valued at ₦5 billion.

Mr Abdulaziz also highlighted federal social protection interventions in the state, citing over ₦11.5 billion disbursed to more than 178,000 vulnerable beneficiaries under the Renewed Hope Social Protection Scheme, as well as the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme (RHWDP).

In the education sector, he pointed out that federal initiatives are substantially easing household financial pressures:

“Over one million students in tertiary institutions across northern Nigeria are currently benefiting from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which has significantly alleviated the burden of tuition fees on parents, particularly low-income households,” he said.

He further disclosed that President Tinubu has approved the establishment of the Federal University of Agriculture in Kirikasamma Local Government Area and a new police college in the state, including a ₦1 billion solar mini-grid installation at the Federal University, Dutse.

Mr Abdulaziz also observed that federal fiscal and economic reforms have improved statutory allocations to subnational governments, enabling Governor Umar Namadi to execute complementary development projects that directly benefit the people of Jigawa.

The presidential aide urged the Jigawa electorate to remain discerning and resist political rhetoric, calling on them to back President Tinubu and All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in the 2027 general election to ensure uninterrupted delivery of democratic dividends.

On the streets of Dutse, however, residents voiced a nuanced mix of appreciation for long-term projects alongside deep concern over current economic hardship.

Aminu Garba, 52, a commercial transporter and father of six, acknowledged the continuation of inherited road projects, citing the completion of the Wudil/Gaya/Dutse highway, which has been at a snail’s pace since 1999.

“We see the construction equipment on the roads, and no one can deny that fixing the corridors toward Kano and Dutse will save our vehicles.

“But the truth is, many of us are struggling just to put fuel in our tanks. A trip that used to cost little money now eats up all your profit because of fuel costs, and passengers cannot afford higher fares.

“Completing the roads is commendable, but the president must understand that the cost of fuel is consuming our profit”.

Abba Haruna, 34, a civil servant and farmer from Hadejia, said:

“The federal interventions in dry-season farming and irrigation schemes give us hope, especially in communities where farming is our only lifeline. When seeds and machinery actually reach farmers, such as the purchase of more tractors by the state and federal governments, it makes a real difference.”

However, Mr Haruna said fertiliser prices outside the subsidies, transport to market, and everyday essentials have skyrocketed.

“We welcome the president’s focus on Jigawa, but food security won’t happen until the high cost of production drops and food actually becomes affordable in local markets.”

Dahiru Suleiman, a father whose son, a final-year student at Federal University, Dutse, spoke on the student loan and ASUU strike.

“Without NELFUND, several parents, including myself, would have had their children drop out due to tuition hikes. Families are struggling to feed, not to pay costly university fees, but the student loan has brought succour to struggling households.

“Worthy of acknowledging is that a university degree is now being completed on time, unlike before, when ASUU and federal government disagreements usually frustrated both students and parents with unending strikes,” Mr Suleiman said.