This piece isn’t intended to relay issues of corruption or the political crises of past administrations but to provide an overview of Niger State’s development trajectory. It aims to awaken a sense of purpose and clarity of priorities among our current political leaders—perhaps encouraging them to pursue the right path toward sustainable development for our dear state.
In hindsight, Niger State before May 29, 1999, evokes nostalgia—a serene place with stable localities governed by relatively functional local government administrations. Most people sustained themselves through small-scale agricultural activities and commodity trading. These localities were coordinated by one of Nigeria’s most peaceful and well-managed capital cities: Minna.
Minna rose to prominence as a major railway settlement, bustling with economic and social activity before becoming the capital of Niger State (created in 1976). As a railway hub, it became known for its diverse population and urban character—hence the Hausa saying, “Minna, Gari Mai Yare Dayawa” (Minna, the city of many tribes). This diversity imbued the city with intellectualism, commercial energy, and cosmopolitan flair. Despite the decline of railway transport in the late 1980s and 1990s, Minna maintained its diversity and modern administrative structure until the return of democracy in May 1999.
In May 1999, Engineer AbdulKadir Abdullahi Kure (FNSE) was inaugurated as the democratically elected Governor of Niger State. A religious and compassionate man, his popular victory was driven by spiritual populism, encapsulated in the Hausa assertion “Mutumin Allah Ne” (He is a man of God). It was therefore unsurprising that Kure, among the earliest to follow Zamfara Governor Ahmed Sani Yarima, introduced Sharia legal measures in the state. Coupled with discriminatory public fees charged to non-indigenes in state-run institutions, this dealt a heavy blow to the inclusive and cosmopolitan spirit that once defined Minna and the state at large.
Many non-indigenes—most of whom controlled major economic interests in Minna and other cities—began withdrawing their investments. This left the state more of an administrative enclave, characterized by a population with diminished economic engagement and a growing culture of dependency and entitlement.
To sustain political momentum and socio-economic activity, Governor Kure focused much of his eight-year tenure on political mobilization and rural awakening. He appointed numerous local politicians, initiated rural projects, and provided substantial state assistance and donations. Religious clerics, particularly Islamic leaders, also received considerable support, which further entrenched religion’s role in politics. Many rural dwellers became politically exposed, abandoning agriculture and economic ventures to become political jobbers or low-cadre government employees. This significantly bloated both the state and local government civil services. Despite the commendable efforts of the then First Lady (later Senator) Hajiya Zainab Kure, who launched the expansive Project YES youth empowerment scheme, many of the youths eventually returned to the streets, becoming societal threats.
Then came Dr. Muazu Babangida Aliyu (CON)—popularly referred to as Talban Minna—elected in May 2007. He inherited a state that was economically constrained, politically charged, and religiously sensitive. A seasoned bureaucrat and former federal permanent secretary, he was a disciple of President Obasanjo’s political and economic reforms. Talban Minna arrived with a vision to restore Niger’s fortunes. He introduced Vision 3:2020, which aimed to make Niger one of Nigeria’s top three most developed states by 2020.
While he could not repeal all the Sharia legal measures due to religious sensitivities, he abolished the indigene/non-indigene dichotomy, ending discriminatory fees and encouraging an influx of people and activities back to the state. Unlike his predecessor, Talban Minna emphasized strengthening institutions over appeasing political actors. He focused on capacity building and created several Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), including:
- Directorate of Ward Development Projects
- Niger State Environmental Protection Agency (NISEPA)
- Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA)
- Due Process Office
- Fiscal Responsibility Office
- Debt Management Office
- Hospital Management Board
- Bureau for Religious Affairs
These were aimed at refining governance and actualizing his developmental vision.
Unfortunately, despite significant initiatives, his administration struggled to reverse the state’s economic downturn or engage the teeming population of unemployed youth meaningfully. His administration did, however, employ over 10,000 graduates through the Talba Employment Programme and the biometric elimination of ghost workers. Still, his eight-year tenure left many developmental goals unrealized, especially in infrastructure and economic transformation.
The end of Talban Minna’s administration ushered in Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello—popularly known as Abu Lolo. Though relatively unfamiliar to many Nigerlites, he initially enjoyed strong goodwill thanks to President Buhari’s popularity and the APC’s wave of influence. Hopes were high that he would build on the gains of his predecessors to revive the state’s economy, especially given his wealthy background.
Instead, his administration turned inward and became more regressive than progressive. Abu Lolo criticized the bloated civil service and payroll, while simultaneously sowing division through nepotistic appointments aimed at correcting perceived regional imbalances. He dismissed previous development plans, abandoned uncompleted projects, and resorted to uncoordinated and overhyped policies with little relevance to economic revival.
By the time he left office, the number of unemployed graduates had surged to nearly 60,000. Youth restiveness and insecurity—particularly from Fulani banditry in Zones B and C—had become rampant. Major state roads such as Minna–Suleja, Minna–Kontagora, Minna–Bida, and Kontagora–Rijau were in severe disrepair. Poverty deepened amid poor national economic conditions, but more so due to uninspired and disconnected leadership.
The Bago vision…
Looking back at the administrations between 1999 and 2023, one clear pattern emerges: the absence of robust economic activity. This void stems largely from a prevalent economic culture of dependency among Nigerlites, many of whom rely on public service and subsistence farming for survival.
Governor Umar Mohammed Bago, inaugurated in May 2023, inherited this massive economic gap, compounded by insecurity, poor revenue generation, and decaying infrastructure. To forge a bold, sustainable vision, without compromising on key sectors like education, healthcare, and potable water, the Bago administration must:
- Realistically restore the state’s lost economic fortunes to boost revenue and meaningfully engage idle youth.
- Systematically complement national security efforts to address the tide of insecurity.
- Strategically reactivate economic roads to ease the movement of people, goods, and services.
Economic activity, tourism, access to infrastructure, and security are the cornerstones of growth. No community develops beyond the resourcefulness of its people. Development administration must place the economy as the superstructure on which all others rest.
Thus, we must deliberately reorient the populace toward economic independence and enterprise—shifting away from dependency and entitlement. This is Governor Bago’s key challenge if true development is to occur.
Concrete steps must include:
- Grooming a productive population through exposure, education, and empowerment.
- Sending at least 1,000 youths abroad in 8 years to pursue higher education, especially in STEM, entrepreneurship, and vocational training.
- Reigniting the deliberate government policy of foreign education sponsorship last seen in the late ’70s and early ’80s.
So far, Governor Bago appears bold and assertive. He’s pursuing loans and grants to:
- Rehabilitate 556km of roads
- Convert Shiroro Hotel into IBB University Teaching Hospital
- Revive the abandoned Three Arms Zone
- Upgrade existing education infrastructure (e.g., College of Education to a University)
- Employ 500,000 youths via agricultural projects and 400,000 women in shea butter processing.
These are commendable. However, beyond the aesthetics of urban renewal in cities like Minna, the state must avoid the paradox of development: acquiring loans to build monuments without economic viability.
Debt isn’t inherently bad—unless its repayment isn’t assured. Loans should fund economically productive initiatives. Mass agricultural engagement may not be sustainable given insecurity and high costs. Instead, the administration should:
- Support farmers’ clusters with access to credit, appropriate technology, and market interventions.
- Invest in export-oriented cash crops.
- Align with upcoming national food security programs.
For a truly strategic development path, Bago should:
- Reassess the mega-infrastructure plan and instead prioritize intra-city roads and basic services.
- Invest in legacy ideas from past development plans to generate up to ₦300 billion in annual revenue.
Bago’s vision should include:
- Sponsorship of unemployed graduates for overseas study and apprenticeship.
- Partnering with international investors to turn Zuma Rock and Gurara Waterfalls into world-class tourist destinations.
- Developing an industrial city around Garam and Zuma Rock.
- Mobilizing funds to partner IBB University with Ivy League institutions to build Nigeria’s premier Business School in Suleja.
- Proposing a rail link from Minna to Zuba via Gurara and projecting Minna as an international sport and intellectual city.
- Collaborating with the federal government to rehabilitate and concession all key economic roads in the state.
If we must borrow, let the burden of debt be backed by the boom of the economy. Let us not suffocate the future. Let us think big, act wisely, and secure Niger’s destiny.
May the Bago Administration Succeed.
God Bless Niger State and Nigeria.
By Suleiman Ismaila Ebbo
