Tinubu’s Administration Will Transform Kano Into West Africa’s Commercial Hub — APC Chairman
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (All Progressives Congress), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is implementing a deliberate economic plan to reposition Kano State as a major commercial and industrial hub in Nigeria and West Africa.
In a statement issued in Abuja, Yilwatda said ongoing federal infrastructure projects in Kano and the wider Northern corridor are part of a coordinated strategy to restore the state’s historic role as Northern Nigeria’s economic centre.
He said the administration envisions Kano becoming Nigeria’s second-largest commercial city after Lagos, while also serving as a key gateway for trade with the Sahel and Francophone West Africa.
Yilwatda highlighted major projects driving the transformation agenda, including the Kaduna–Kano standard gauge railway, the Kano–Maradi rail line linking Niger Republic, and the planned Kano metropolitan rail system aimed at improving urban mobility and logistics.
He also pointed to the AKK Gas Pipeline project, which he said would supply industrial gas to power factories, fertiliser plants and energy production across the region, as well as ongoing upgrades to major road corridors including Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano and the Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway.
According to him, these investments are designed to strengthen industrialisation, improve power supply, and expand trade connectivity across Northern Nigeria.
The APC chairman said Kano’s large commercial ecosystem, strategic location and manufacturing base make it central to the federal government’s economic diversification agenda. He added that reviving industry in the state would boost employment, reduce poverty and enhance national stability.
Yilwatda also criticised opposition parties, accusing them of lacking constructive economic plans and focusing instead on political attacks against the ruling party.
He maintained that no previous administration had implemented such a broad and interconnected infrastructure strategy for the region, adding that the Tinubu government’s vision would reshape the economic future of Northern Nigeria.
According to him, the reforms will position Kano as a “new economic powerhouse” and secure President Tinubu’s legacy in national development.
Benita Ibrahim
