Tinubu Rebuilding Kano as Northern Economic Hub — APC Chairman Yilwatda
Oru Leonard
Abuja, April 12, 2026 — The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda, has declared that the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu is executing a far-reaching economic masterplan to transform Kano into Northern Nigeria’s leading commercial centre and a major gateway for West African trade.
Speaking in Abuja, Yilwatda said the Federal Government’s ongoing infrastructure and industrial investments in Kano and across the northern corridor are part of a deliberate and coordinated strategy to restore the city’s historic role as the economic heartbeat of the region.
According to him, the Tinubu administration is positioning Kano as Nigeria’s second-largest commercial hub after Lagos, with a focus on enhancing its role in transnational trade, manufacturing, and logistics, particularly across the Sahel and Francophone West Africa.
He highlighted key projects driving this vision, including the Kaduna–Kano standard gauge railway, expected to link Kano directly to Abuja and southern markets, and the Kano–Maradi rail line, which will connect Nigeria to Niger Republic and expand trade routes into the Sahel region.
Other initiatives include the planned Kano Metropolitan Rail Service to modernise urban transportation, the AKK Gas Pipeline to supply industrial gas for manufacturing and power generation, and ongoing power and road infrastructure upgrades along major corridors such as Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano and the proposed Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway.
Yilwatda said the investments are anchored on Kano’s strategic importance as Northern Nigeria’s largest commercial ecosystem and its geographical advantage as a gateway to neighbouring countries including Niger and Chad.
He added that reviving Kano’s traditional industries—textiles, leather, and agro-processing—would be central to broader economic recovery and industrialisation in the North.
The APC chairman also argued that expanding economic opportunities in Kano and the wider region would help address unemployment, poverty, and insecurity, noting that northern prosperity is critical to national stability.
He described the administration’s approach as the most comprehensive infrastructure strategy ever undertaken in Northern Nigeria, integrating rail, energy, transport, and trade systems into a unified economic framework.
Yilwatda, however, criticised opposition parties for focusing on political rhetoric rather than offering alternative development plans, insisting that the Tinubu administration remains committed to long-term economic transformation.
He expressed confidence that the ongoing reforms and investments would redefine Kano’s economic trajectory and secure its position as a dominant commercial hub in Nigeria and across West Africa.
The statement was signed by Abimbola Tooki, Special Adviser on Media and Communications Strategy to the APC National Chairman.
