Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State has emphasized that the construction of Nigeria cannot depend solely on major cities like Abuja, Lagos, or Kano. He stated that the nation will only flourish when the North and South recognize each other as partners rather than adversaries.
Summit Address
The governor made these remarks yesterday at a summit in Lagos titled “Democracy, Good Governance and Sustainable Development: Rebuilding a Fractured Nation,” organized by the Nigerian Human Rights Community (NHRC), where he served as the special guest of honour.
Yusuf proposed the establishment of a “Bridge of Trust Initiative” between northern and southern states. This initiative would include joint youth innovation hubs, inter-state student exchanges, and a collaborative platform for civil society to mediate disputes before they escalate.
Call for Justice and Peace
He urged participants to embrace the conviction that justice is not an adversary of peace but a pathway toward it. He added that where fairness prevails, harmony follows, and where there is harmony, progress ensues.
The governor asserted that Nigeria is not beyond repair but is too valuable to take risks with, emphasizing that the time to rebuild is now.
Kano's Peace Pillars
Represented by his Commissioner for Transport, Haruna Dederi, Yusuf explained that Kano recognized early that peace cannot simply be commanded; it must be cultivated. The process is grounded in three fundamental pillars: justice, inclusion, and shared prosperity.
Highlighting government initiatives in these areas, Yusuf noted that Kano aligned with the principles outlined in the Police Act of 2020. The administration established the first police duty solicitors scheme in the nation, aimed at safeguarding citizens' rights. It also incorporated policies against torture, preventing arrest for civil debts, facilitating free bail, and ensuring mandatory notification of next of kin.
Guest Speaker's Remarks
Earlier, guest speaker Ayo Opadokun spoke on “The Imperatives of Ethnic Harmony Towards Democracy and Sustainable Development: What Is To Be Done?” He maintained that Nigeria, as a nation of immense diversity with over 350 ethnic nationalities, multiple faiths, and rich cultural traditions, was never meant to be a battleground of suspicion, division, and recurring violence.
He stated that the nation's diversity was designed not only by colonial Great Britain but also by providence to be a source of strength, innovation, resilience, and shared prosperity.
