Arewa

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Kwara State Government has closed an unapproved orphanage in Ilorin and taken 30 children found at the facility into government care.

Officials of the state Ministry of Social Development carried out the operation on Thursday at the Iranlowo Oluwa Orphanage and Children’s Home.

The children, made up of boys and girls between the ages of two and 15, have since been moved to a government-approved shelter.

The state government said the children would receive medical attention, food, education and psychosocial support at the shelter while officials determine their individual circumstances.

The intervention was disclosed in a statement issued by the Kwara State Ministry of Social Development and signed by its Press Secretary, Rasheedat Shodunnke.

The ministry said the action formed part of measures to protect children living in care institutions from neglect, abuse and other risks.

The Commissioner for Social Development, Mariam Nnfatima Imam, said authorities would first establish the needs and backgrounds of the rescued children before deciding on their long-term care.

She said the ministry would conduct family tracing and seek to reunite the children with their relatives where such reunification was considered safe and appropriate.

“The children are undergoing comprehensive medical screening, nutrition support and psychosocial counselling, while the ministry is also working on family tracing and reunification, where appropriate,” Imam said.

According to the commissioner, children whose return to their families is found to be unsafe will remain in government-approved care facilities.

She explained that the placement process would follow the required documentation and assessment procedures. Further assessments would also be carried out to ensure that each child continues to receive appropriate care.

Imam said the discovery had also led the ministry to intensify its monitoring of orphanages and other child-care institutions across Kwara State.

She directed operators of orphanages and children’s homes to secure government approval before operating.

The commissioner also instructed approved facilities to display the inscription, “Approved by the Kwara State Government,” prominently on their signposts.

She said the measure would help residents identify facilities that have received official authorisation from those operating without approval.

The Director of Social Work in the ministry, Hamzat Abdulfatah, who took part in the rescue operation, stressed the importance of cooperation among government agencies and other stakeholders involved in child protection.

“This intervention has given these children hope and encouraged us to work together. We now understand that if we manage this process properly and follow due process, these children will have the opportunity to live better and more fulfilled lives,” Abdulfatah said.

The ministry said efforts would continue to establish the identities and family backgrounds of the children and determine suitable long-term arrangements for their care.

By Maji Bappa Maina

What happens when markets are no longer treated as isolated projects, but as interconnected pieces of an economic system?

That question becomes interesting when we look at the spread of modern and ultra-modern markets being developed across Yobe State under Governor Mai Mala Buni.

From the Yobe City Mall in Damaturu to markets in Yunusari, Potiskum, Nguru, Gashua and Ngalda, and from Geidam, Buni Yadi, Machina and Jajere to Ngelzarma, Sabon Garin Nangere, Yusufari, Jajimaji, Bumsa and Gir Gir, the locations tell a story that goes beyond the construction of individual market buildings.

They suggest a broader attempt to create an economic network across the state.

To understand this, perhaps we need to change the way we look at a market.

A market is not simply a place where people come to buy and sell.

It is where farmers meet traders, where goods move from producers to consumers, where transporters find business, where small enterprises grow, where money circulates and where economic relationships are created.

In development planning, therefore, the location of a market can be just as important as the structure itself.

Consider Geidam.

Its proximity to Nigeria’s border with Niger Republic gives commercial infrastructure there a significance that extends beyond the immediate community.

A functional market in such a location can potentially serve local commerce while also connecting Yobe to wider patterns of regional trade.

Then consider Nguru, Gashua and Machina.

These are important points within Yobe’s commercial geography.

When modern trading facilities are introduced in such locations, they can help distribute economic activity across different parts of the state rather than concentrating everything around the capital.

Then there is Potiskum, with its long-standing reputation as one of the major commercial centres of Yobe.

And in Damaturu, the Yobe City Mall introduces another form of commercial infrastructure, one associated with a more formal and modern retail environment.

But perhaps the more interesting part of the strategy is found outside these major centres.
Ngalda. Buni Yadi. Jajere. Yusufari. Sabon Garin Nangere. Jajimaji. Bumsa. Gir Gir.

Why invest in markets across such a wide geographical spread?
Because development does not become inclusive simply because a state has a few major commercial centres.

Economic opportunity has to be connected to where people actually live and produce.

A farmer in a rural community needs somewhere to sell.
A trader needs somewhere to operate.

A transporter needs somewhere goods can be aggregated.
A small business needs customers.

And consumers need accessible places where goods and services can be exchanged.

This is where Governor Buni’s market strategy becomes interesting from a public-policy perspective.

The question is no longer simply how many markets are being constructed.

The more important question is:

What economic relationships can these markets create when they begin functioning as a network?
Imagine the possibility.
A farmer produces in one community.

The produce moves to a nearby market.
From there, traders aggregate it and transport it to a larger commercial centre.

From a major centre, goods can move toward other parts of Yobe or beyond the state.

At the border, commercial activity can potentially connect with regional markets.

Along the way, transporters, wholesalers, retailers, financial institutions and small businesses participate in the same economic chain.

That is how infrastructure begins to function as an economic ecosystem.
And there is another important dimension.

For a state that has experienced prolonged disruption to economic activities in some communities, rebuilding commercial infrastructure can also contribute to restoring normal economic life.

A market can become a sign that people are returning to ordinary economic activity.
Traders return.
Customers return.

Farmers have somewhere to sell.
Young people can establish small businesses.
Communities begin to reconnect economically.

In that sense, the market becomes part of a wider process of economic recovery and reintegration.

But there is a deeper lesson here for public administration.

Government projects should ultimately be judged not only by what is constructed, but by the systems they help create.

A beautiful market that remains empty is infrastructure without sufficient economic function.

A functioning market, however, can generate activity far beyond its walls.

That is why the next phase becomes just as important as construction itself.

Will traders occupy the shops?
Will farmers gain easier access to markets?
Will storage facilities reduce post-harvest losses?
Will transport networks connect the markets efficiently?
Will financial services follow the commercial activity?
Will the markets create employment?
Will they contribute to sustainable internally generated revenue?
These questions will determine whether the buildings become genuine economic assets.

And this is perhaps the most interesting way to understand the direction Governor Mai Mala Buni appears to be taking with market infrastructure.

The strategy is potentially bigger than building markets.

It is about creating places through which economic activity can move.

From Damaturu to Geidam, from Potiskum to Nguru, from Gashua to Ngalda, and from the larger towns to smaller communities, these projects can be understood as nodes within a wider economic geography.

The Yobe City Mall represents one end of that commercial spectrum.

The border communities represent another.

The modern markets scattered across the state provide the connecting points in between.

And when those points begin functioning together, something more important than individual buildings can emerge: a more connected local economy.

Perhaps, therefore, the real measure of this strategy will not be the number of markets opened.

It will be the number of economic opportunities that begin moving through them.

Because in development, infrastructure matters most when people can use it to move goods, services, ideas, income and opportunity.

That is where a market stops being merely a building.
It becomes part of the development system.

Maji Bappa Maina is a Political Writer | Voice of Development, Leadership & Public Insight

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has attributed the persistence of insecurity in Nigeria to years of ethnic and religious divisions that, according to him, were fuelled by political rhetoric and public discourse.

Sanusi made the remarks in Abuja on Wednesday at the launch of a biography chronicling the tenure of retired Lieutenant General Tukur Yusufu Buratai as Chief of Army Staff.

The former Central Bank of Nigeria governor said the roots of Nigeria’s security challenges went beyond the emergence of Boko Haram, banditry and terrorism. He argued that the country’s present difficulties were preceded by a pattern of political and media discourse that divided Nigerians along regional, religious and ethnic lines.

“The fundamental point I wish to emphasise is that the security crisis in this nation did not commence with violence as we currently witness it, nor did it commence with banditry. It did not commence with Boko Haram and terrorism. It originated with the violence inherent in language that appeared in newspapers and emanated from political discourse, wherein we commenced categorising ourselves not as Nigerians, but as Northerners and Southerners, Muslims and Christians, Yoruba and Igbo and Hausa, thereby establishing an environment that facilitated the emergence of these movements,” stated the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Sanusi warned that the country could face another cycle of violence if political leaders and other influential groups fail to move away from the use of ethnicity and religion as tools of political mobilisation.

“We are only laying the foundation for a new round of violence. We have to go back to seeing ourselves as Nigerians, as people committed to this country, and focus on what is important, which is the development of our people. It is not the responsibility of politicians to give us religion. They are there to give us education, to give us healthcare, to give us an economy and allow the religion to be in the hands of those who are religious leaders.

“It is also not the duty of religious leaders to get into politics. Right now, there is no distinction between imams and bishops and senators and how everybody is a politician. We’ve got to start tracing ourselves. Otherwise, we create these interests that feed and benefit from insecurity.

“The moment we all get absorbed into the projects of politicians, we cannot hold political society in check. We cannot have a country that we want because we need to have those institutions who are not there on elections, the army cannot think in four-year cycles. The police cannot think in four-year cycles. The central bank cannot think in four-year cycles. We have to think 20 years, 30 years, 50 years, whereas elected officers are thinking in four-year cycles.”

Also at the event, retired Lieutenant General Domenico Giani, Inspector General of the Corpo della Gendarmeria, the police and security force of Vatican City, spoke about leadership, institutional accountability and the need to assess the legacy of those who command security institutions.

Giani said lasting institutional progress should be judged by the strength of institutions, protection of civilians and public trust.

“Transformation is measured by institutions strengthened, civilians protected, trust earned.

“Boko Haram was not born in 2015. Its roots lie in the poverty and distrust of the early 2000s North-East. After Yusuf’s death in 2009, it hardened under Shekau. Chibok in 2014 revealed what Borno, Yobe and Adamawa had endured. By 2016, it had split into JAS and ISWAP, fragmented, mobile, adaptive.

“A terrorist organisation that changes form must be met by a state that learns faster than its enemy. Intelligence and regional cooperation are essential, but so are schools, justice and opportunity. If the state arrives with weapons but not services, the vacuum returns.”

By Sabiu Abdullahi

Some Nigerians on social media have expressed jubilation over the reported abduction of Islamic clerics who were said to have visited the residence of former Zamfara State Governor, Abdul’aziz Yari, to pray for President Bola Tinubu’s success in the 2027 presidential election.

The clerics were reportedly abducted by bandits after leaving Yari’s residence, according to a report shared by BBC Hausa.

The report has triggered a wave of reactions on Facebook, with some users appearing to celebrate the incident because of the clerics’ reported political prayers.

One Facebook user, Auwal Sulaiman, commented, “Dole sai sun hada da kudin fansa,” suggesting that the clerics would have to contribute money towards their ransom.

Another user, Yusuf Sani, wrote, “Gaskiya tsaro ya inganta shikenan hanun karba hanun mayarwa hadda riba xa’aci akansu,” sarcastically suggesting that the country’s security situation had improved and that the abductees would be returned, even with interest added to the ransom.

Usman Jidda simply reacted, “Allah Shi…….”

Musa Haruna asked, “Kowa yakiji bayaki gani, Ina gani bazaiga DA kyauba,” while Sagir Abdullah said, “muna masu addu’ar Allah yayimasu mafita, indai ohmologo ne bazamu zaba ba,” expressing a prayer for their safe resolution but also linking the incident to political opposition.

Other commenters took a more celebratory tone. One user wrote, “Masha Allah Allah Allah yasa su kàshèshu ko b@nza anrage mugún iri,” while Kasim Ibrahim described the incident as evidence that the victim had “seen the truth.”

Mahamadou Hamidou Arzika commented, “Masha Allah, Allah ya sa su yanka su,” while Khalifa Bellobb wrote, “Karshen Kwadayi, MashaAllah barakallah me ya kai su,” implying that the incident was a consequence of greed or political ambition.

The reactions have drawn attention to the deep political divisions surrounding the 2027 election, with some social media users showing little sympathy for people perceived to be supporting President Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The comments have also raised concerns about the extent to which political disagreements and frustration over insecurity have influenced public reactions to incidents involving kidnapping and banditry.

The Daily Reality could not independently verify the identities of all the abducted clerics or the circumstances surrounding their abduction at the time of publication.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has released the final list of 18 presidential candidates and their running mates for the January 2027 presidential election.

The list, titled “Presidential and National Assembly Elections for Jan, 2027 – Presidential Final List of Candidates”, was signed by the commission’s Secretary, Rose Oriaran-Anthony.

Among the major contenders listed by the electoral commission are Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress, ADC; President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, APC; Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC; and Omoyele Sowore of the African Action Congress, AAC.

Atiku is paired with former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as his running mate, while Tinubu will contest alongside Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

Obi’s running mate is former Kano State Governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, while Sowore is paired with Haruna Magashi.

Other candidates on the list include Rufai Omo-Aje of the Action Alliance, AA; Abbas-Bin Aliyu of the Action Democratic Party, ADP; Yusuf Kabiru of the Allied Peoples Party, APP; Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM; and Adenuga Sunday of the Boot Party, BP.

The commission also listed Adebisi Olusoji of the Democratic Leadership Alliance, DLA; Sunday Okereke of the Labour Party, LP; Ada Okwori of the National Democratic Party, NDP; and Nkem Okereke of the National Rescue Movement, NRM.

Former Delta State Governor, Donald Duke, will represent the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, while Adewole Adebayo is the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP.

The remaining candidates are Peter Agada of the Young Progressives Party, YPP, and Daniel Nwanyanwu of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP.

The final document provides details about the candidates and their running mates, including their ages, gender and academic qualifications.

INEC has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections.

The governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.

By Uzair Adam

The Kano State Coordination Office of the Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support Project (L-PRES), in collaboration with the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR), Abuja, has concluded a four-day capacity-building programme for stakeholders on conflict prevention, mediation, peacebuilding and peaceful coexistence.

The training, which ended on Friday, brought together representatives of security agencies, government ministries, farmers and pastoralists, traditional and religious institutions, women and other stakeholders involved in the livestock sector.

The Daily Reality reports that the programme was organised to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders and existing conflict committees at state and local government levels to identify early warning signs, prevent conflicts and respond appropriately to emerging disputes.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer of L-PRES in Kano, Sule Saleh, who represented the State Project Coordinator, Dr. Salisu Muhammad Inuwa, said the programme had significantly improved participants’ understanding of conflict prevention and resolution.

Saleh said the participants came from different backgrounds and initially had varying levels of knowledge about conflict mitigation, but had gained practical skills during the four-day engagement.

“To be candid with you, as of today, I believe we are more than learners. We have learned a lot about how to mediate conflict and how to identify what triggers that conflict,” he said.

He explained that the training covered issues including resource control, access to grazing areas and water resources, livestock movement, community-level peacebuilding and the management of conflicts that could arise from development interventions.

According to him, L-PRES had established conflict committees at different levels to ensure that emerging disputes were addressed before they escalated from the community level to local government and state levels.

Saleh cited the construction of solar-powered boreholes and animal drinking points in 36 Ruga communities across Kano State as an example of how conflict-sensitive planning could prevent potential disputes.

He said the project had designed separate water access points for surrounding communities to prevent disagreements between farmers and pastoralists over the use of the facilities.

“The intervention may lead to conflicting interests between farmers and herders. So, to solve that issue, right from design, L-PRES designed a separate tap where the communities can access that particular water,” he explained.

Saleh said the approach was intended to reduce tension and promote peaceful coexistence between livestock farmers and members of the wider communities.

Also speaking, the National Conflict Specialist of L-PRES, Nazifi Ibrahim Wada, said the project was supporting existing conflict committees in Kano State because of their important role in preventing farmer-herder conflicts.

Wada explained that the committees had been working to prevent conflicts and needed continuous capacity building, training and relevant materials to strengthen their day-to-day activities.

He said the training focused on early warning and early response, mediation, dialogue and gender inclusion, among other areas.

“We are building the capacity of the conflict committee members in Kano State, that is, both the state and local conflict committees,” Wada said.

According to him, participants were trained on how to detect potential conflicts before they occurred and how to respond promptly when tensions began to emerge.

Wada expressed confidence in the participants, saying their commitment and interaction with facilitators during the programme demonstrated that they were prepared to apply the knowledge gained.

He said the participants represented a broad range of institutions, including the Department of State Services (DSS), Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Ministry of Livestock, Ministry of Women Affairs, Ministry of Justice, forestry and land resources.

He added that representatives of farmers, pastoralists, traditional rulers and religious leaders also participated in the programme.

In his remarks, Paul Andrew Gwaza of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Abuja, described the four-day engagement as more than a conventional training, saying it provided an opportunity for critical stakeholders to jointly examine the causes of conflict and possible solutions.

Gwaza said the programme included participatory stakeholder mapping, focus group discussions, multi-stakeholder dialogue and sessions on conflict analysis and peace analysis.

He added that participants were also trained on the Do No Harm framework, gender and social inclusion, mediation, negotiation, traditional peacebuilding methods, grievance redress and referral pathways.

Other areas covered, according to him, included conflict-sensitive investment planning and the legal and policy framework relating to peacebuilding and livestock development in Kano State.

“This four-day engagement is not just training. It is engagement with critical stakeholders in Kano State,” Gwaza said.

He said the institute conducted a pre-engagement assessment to determine the participants’ level of knowledge before the programme and would also conduct a post-engagement evaluation to measure the impact of the training.

Gwaza, however, said the participants had already demonstrated noticeable improvements in their skills, competence and enthusiasm throughout the programme.

He urged the participants to become active peace agents by taking peace messages to their communities, markets, town hall meetings and other public spaces.

“The call that we have been echoing to them is that they are now peace agents. When you are a peace agent, you are expected to propagate peace messages,” he said.

Gwaza stressed the need for inclusion in development processes, warning that ignoring the grievances of individuals or groups could create conditions for wider conflict.

He urged stakeholders to promote social cohesion, unity and peaceful coexistence rather than messages capable of deepening divisions within society.

Also speaking, Hadiza Aminu Kabara, Gender Officer at the Kano State Ministry of Women Affairs, Children and Persons with Special Needs, described the programme as informative and impactful.

Kabara said the training focused on conflict prevention and resolution, referral pathways and appropriate actions to be taken when conflicts were identified.

She said participants were sensitised on the importance of identifying and reporting conflicts at their early stages to relevant authorities and institutions before they escalated.

According to her, the programme was particularly important because of the persistent farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria, which affect both farmers and pastoralists.

Kabara commended L-PRES for providing designated routes for pastoralists to move their livestock without passing through farmlands, saying such initiatives could help reduce clashes and promote peaceful coexistence.

She said the training had increased participants’ knowledge and awareness of conflict prevention, adding that the knowledge acquired would be useful in their respective communities and institutions.

The Daily Reality gathered that the conclusion of the programme is expected to strengthen the capacity of Kano State’s conflict committees and other stakeholders to identify early warning signs, facilitate dialogue, mediate disputes and address grievances before they escalate, thereby contributing to peaceful coexistence and improved livestock productivity across the state.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Troops of the Nigerian Army have reportedly arrested a 50-year-old woman in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State for allegedly transporting 300 rounds of live ammunition concealed inside a bag.

According to preliminary military findings, the woman travelled from Zamfara State to Lafia in Nasarawa State, where she allegedly collected the ammunition before heading towards Kaduna State. The Army said the ammunition was allegedly being transported for delivery to suspected bandits operating in the Birnin Gwari forest area of Kaduna State.

The suspect was reportedly arrested during a military operation, while the ammunition was recovered from her possession. She is currently in custody as investigations continue to establish the circumstances surrounding the movement of the ammunition and identify other persons who may be connected to the alleged operation.

The arrest comes amid ongoing military operations against banditry and other security threats in parts of the North-West.

By Sabiu Abdullahi

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised the alarm over the alleged establishment of counterfeit manufacturing plants and distribution networks in Nigeria by Chinese nationals involved in the production of fake products.

Martins Iluyomade, NAFDAC director of investigation and enforcement, disclosed that intelligence gathered by the agency showed a shift in the counterfeit trade.

According to him, counterfeiters who previously imported fake goods from China are now producing and distributing them locally.

“Before, to fake a product, you needed to go to China to bring it. Now, they are here with us,” Iluyomade said.

“They identify moving products, send samples to China, and distribute them locally through logistics companies they own.”

Iluyomade said NAFDAC had commenced a systematic crackdown on illegal logistics facilities allegedly operated by foreign nationals linked to the counterfeit network.

The disclosure comes amid concerns over the circulation of dangerous and substandard consumer goods in the country. Products reportedly affected include adulterated toothpaste, contaminated bottled water, counterfeit cosmetics and unwholesome dairy products.

NAFDAC Director-General, Mojisola Adeyeye, said the agency had seized and destroyed regulated products valued at more than N1.5 trillion during coordinated enforcement operations in Lagos and parts of the South-East.

She added that the agency secured 64 convictions against counterfeiters between June 2025 and June 2026, describing the figure as the highest recorded by NAFDAC.

One of the convicted counterfeiters was reportedly sentenced to five years in prison in December after being found guilty of operating an illegal beverage laboratory.

NAFDAC also disclosed that criminal proceedings are ongoing at federal courts against several suspects arrested in Kano, Sokoto, Delta and Anambra states.

The suspects are facing allegations linked to the importation and distribution of counterfeit oral-care products.

The latest disclosure highlights the changing nature of counterfeit operations in Nigeria, with authorities now facing not only the challenge of stopping fake products at the point of entry but also the alleged local manufacture and distribution of such products.

By Anwar Usman


The Federal Government has warned tertiary institutions against presenting borrowed lecturers, equipment, laboratories and other facilities during accreditation exercises to give a false impression of their capacity.

The minister made this known in Abuja at the inauguration of the Ministerial Committee on Strengthening the Accreditation and Quality Assurance System for Tertiary Institutions in Nigeria which was chaired by the immediate past Registrar, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ish-aq Oloyede.

He stated that institutions would henceforth be assessed strictly on the resources they genuinely own and can sustainably make available to students, stressing that the practice of borrowing facilities to deceive accreditation teams would no longer be tolerated.

He further revealed that, government is doing its best to overhaul the accreditation system for universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to prevent institutions from creating a “temporary picture” of their capacity whenever accreditation teams visit.

He said accreditation process is designed to provide an accurate picture of an institution’s ability to deliver quality education, but showed concern that some institutions temporarily assemble personnel and facilities solely to satisfy accreditation requirements.

“An institution should not be able to prepare a temporary picture of itself simply for the purpose of an accreditation visit. Sadly, this is what we see in a majority of instances,” the minister said.

He said the government would tackle the temporary movement of academic and non-academic personnel to institutions ahead of accreditation visits.

“We must similarly address the temporary movement, borrowing or presentation of equipment, laboratory facilities, workshop resources, library materials and other infrastructure solely for accreditation purposes,” he said.

The minister further revealed that, the government would no longer be satisfied with what institutions merely present to accreditation teams, insisting that regulators must be able to verify that the resources actually exist and remain available after the accreditation exercise.

“When an accreditation team visits an institution, what it sees and verifies should represent the actual and sustainable capacity of that institution, not an arrangement assembled for the accreditation exercise,” he said.

The Guardian reports that, the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) would be required to strengthen mechanisms for verifying the authenticity and continuous availability of staff, facilities and equipment.

The government also plans to deploy technology to track institutional resources.

According to Alausa, critical equipment presented for accreditation should be digitally identified and linked to a specific institution and physical location.

Such equipment, he said, should have a unique digital record indicating its location, status and other relevant information.

The minister also announced plans for tighter verification of personnel presented by institutions during accreditation.

He said the government would develop a digital identity-management and staff-verification framework to establish that individuals presented as academic and non-academic staff are genuinely associated with the institutions claiming them.

By Uzair Adam

The Hills and Valleys Recreation Centre in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area of Kano State has been transformed into a centre for Qur’anic education, Islamic learning and humanitarian activities, with plans underway to establish a university and skills acquisition programmes at the facility.

The Daily Reality reports that the development followed the acquisition of the property by the Zam-Zam Islamic Initiative for N1.2 billion, according to Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, who disclosed this during the formal handover of the facility.

Daurawa explained that Hills and Valleys, which previously served as a park and hotel, had been a popular recreational centre where children and youths gathered, particularly during Sallah celebrations.

He, however, alleged that the facility later became associated with activities such as drug sales and prostitution, among other activities considered unacceptable by the community.

According to him, the property had been put up for sale by its owners and heirs for almost two years before discussions began over its acquisition by the Zam-Zam Islamic Initiative.

He said a wealthy associate later informed him that he had heard Zam-Zam was interested in purchasing the property, leading to further discussions and negotiations that eventually resulted in its acquisition for N1.2 billion.

Daurawa said the facility had since been renamed Zam-Zam and would serve as a centre for religious education, modern education, skills acquisition and humanitarian activities.

He explained that Zam-Zam had already been supporting the education of Qur’anic memorizers, noting that 170 female memorizers had been sponsored to study at different universities.

He added that the initiative had opened a portal to enable both male and female Qur’an memorizers to access opportunities to pursue first-degree and master’s programmes.

Daurawa also disclosed that the organisation had sponsored students to universities in Abuja to study various disciplines, including supporting married women to further their education.

He said the initiative was also planning to sponsor students to universities in Cairo, Egypt, to study courses such as medicine, engineering and computer science.

According to him, representatives of Arab organisations associated with the initiative would visit the centre to assess students and identify those who could benefit from educational opportunities.

He further said a renowned computer training centre would be involved in the new facility to equip young people with digital skills, while other vocational programmes would also be introduced.

Daurawa said the centre would therefore combine Islamic education with modern education and vocational training to provide young people with opportunities for learning and skills development.

He also highlighted the humanitarian dimension of the initiative, saying Zam-Zam had links with an Arab organisation that provides rams for distribution during Sallah.

He disclosed that the organisation received 500 rams this year for distribution as part of its humanitarian activities.

Daurawa said Zam-Zam also intended to establish Zam-Zam University at the facility, explaining that although other locations had been offered for the project, he preferred Hills and Valleys because of its potential benefits to the community and the legacy of the philanthropist who owned the property.

He described the development as a source of joy to the community, Kano State and the family of the philanthropist.

Daurawa also reflected on the long-term significance of the project, saying, “Whoever establishes something, whether good or bad, continues to receive its consequences even after death.”

The transformation of the facility into a centre for Qur’anic education, Islamic learning and humanitarian activities was earlier reported following its formal handover to the Zam-Zam Islamic Initiative, with Kano State Hisbah Command deploying personnel to the centre.