In an exclusive interview with journalists in Gusau, Zamfara State, Governor Dauda Lawal shed light on the numerous challenges he inherited upon assuming office and the transformative efforts his administration has made in a bid to reshape the state’s future.
Governor Dauda Lawal revealed that he inherited a state grappling with severe financial and infrastructural crises. The state’s treasury had a mere four million Naira, while it was burdened with over thirteen billion Naira in debts. Additionally, the state faced a backlog of unpaid salaries totaling three and a half months, widespread insecurity, and deteriorating public services. There was no electricity in government offices, including the government house, and water supply in Gusau, the state capital, had been cut off.
One of the more alarming issues was the dilapidation of essential state infrastructure: the government liaison office in Abuja had been vandalized, and the government lodge in Kaduna had been sold off. To add to these concerns, Zamfara’s government structure was overly bloated with 48 commissioners and 53 permanent secretaries, while workers were receiving a minimum wage of just 7,000 Naira.
Despite these daunting challenges, Governor Lawal has made significant strides in turning things around. Within a short period, he negotiated with examination bodies such as WAEC and NECO, making payments to reduce the debt totaling over N2.9 billion, enabling students to sit for their final exams. He also secured a deal with the Kaduna Electric Distribution Company (KAEDCO), paying N1.3 billion to restore electricity to government offices.
The governor’s administration has made great strides in addressing the state’s educational crisis. Lawal declared a state of emergency in the educational sector, resulting in the reconstruction and equipping of over 300 primary and 200 secondary schools across the state. He has also committed to bringing back students studying abroad in countries like Cyprus, Sudan, and China, providing them with scholarships to continue their education in Nigeria.
Governor Lawal is also focused on addressing infrastructure challenges. In just one week of taking office, he resolved the water supply issues in Gusau, restoring clean water to the capital. His administration also reclaimed the state’s government lodge in Kaduna for N600 million and is in the process of repairing the Abuja liaison office. Additionally, Lawal’s government has settled over 10 billion Naira in unpaid gratuities from previous administrations.
On the security front, the governor emphasized that his administration has tackled the rising insecurity in the state head-on. His strong stance of no negotiations with bandits is yielding positive results, with crime rates beginning to decrease.
He introduces the Zamfara state Community Protection Guards, nicknamed ‘AskarawA’ to support conventional securities in fighting insecurity and numerous logistics support to security agencies in the state.
In an effort to reduce costs and streamline governance, Governor Lawal restructured the state’s ministries, cutting the number from 48 to 16 and reducing the number of permanent secretaries from 53 to 22. He has also boosted the state’s internally generated revenue from a meager 90 million Naira per month to an impressive 1.5 billion Naira, significantly improving the state’s financial health.
In the health sector, Lawal’s administration has undertaken several reforms, including upgrading the Nasarwar Burkullu primary health center into a general hospital and renovating general hospitals across the state, including in Kaura Namoda, Tsafe, and Gusau. His most ambitious project involves transforming the Ahmad Sani Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital into a teaching hospital for Zamfara State University’s forthcoming medical faculty.
Lawal also expressed his commitment to improving youth engagement in the state, creating job opportunities for young people through environmental cleanup projects and skills acquisition programs. He has worked with Islamic scholars to establish Tsangaya schools in all three senatorial zones, with a focus on quality education, skills training, and providing scholarships for students.
Furthermore, to attract investors and bolster the state’s economy, Governor Lawal has initiated the construction of an internal cargo airport in Gusau, expected to be completed in five months, alongside several other high-impact projects.
Governor Lawal’s efforts, he emphasized, have been accomplished without borrowing, as all projects are fully funded under a new, inclusive budgeting arrangement that allows citizens to actively participate in the budget preparation process.
“We have achieved all this without borrowing a dime,” Lawal stated. “All ongoing projects have their funding in place, ensuring sustainability for the future of Zamfara State.”
