Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State, popularly known as Danmodi, is one Governor who stands out among the 36 governors in Nigeria through hard work, purposeful leadership and commitment to the delivery of the democratic dividends to the teeming population of Jigawa state.
His greater Jigawa agenda has succeeded in changing the socio-political and economic narrative of the state.
Development indices in the last three and a half years show that Jigawa State has made giant strides in all spheres of development. His Excellency has pursued youth and Women empowerment with determination to eradicate poverty, standardized and digitalized the educational sector in Jigawa state, improved and mechanized the agricultural sector while expanding and modernizing the health sector among several other critical areas of governance.
Giant Stride in Education
Available records from the State Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Basic Education and its agencies shows unprecedented achievements in the sector. It is on record that Jigawa state is the only state in Nigeria that has consistenty allocated over 25 percent of its annual budget to education since 2024.
Under Governor Namadi, the state Government purchased the former Khadija University at the sum of the N11 billion has been converted into Jigawa State University of Medical and Health Sciences to improve access to medical education by people of the state, the sum of N3, 091,483,468 was released as foreign scholarships for 195 students to study medicine and other relevant courses in Cyprus and India, covering all their expenses while over 3,420 qualified Teachers were recruited across board.
Teacher training became a priority under this administration as over 3,733 were trained while over 300 Math Physics, Biology and Chemistry Teachers across the state were specifically selected for special training because of His Excellency’s emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) to boost technological development of the state.
Under the Namadi administration, adult and youth literacy rate in the State increased from 65% to71% in 2024 which made Jigawa State to be recognized as second only to Lagos in terms of outstanding performance in adult mass education and non-formal education across Nigeria. The state received an award in Abuja for this uncommon feat.
In order to integrate the Tsangaya Almajiri school with modern western educational system, Governor Namadi constructed three Modern Mega Tsangaya Schools in Dutse, Kafin Hausa, and Ringim which were designed to enroll up to 4,500 Almajiri children, offering a blend of Qur’anic studies, modern academic education, and vocational skills while seven Model Tsangaya Schools were renovated and expanded to accommodate and feed enrolled students. This system has given access to quality education to over 12, 000 Almajiris.
In the last three years the government has upgraded Dutse Model International School to Centre of Excellence and Santami International School as centre of Excellence in Technical and Vocational Training. This is in addition to distribution free JAMB PINs, organizing lessons, and conducting pre-JAMB mock exams to boost access to higher education for over 33,000 students.
In just three – year, 572 classrooms distributed across primary and junior secondary schools were renovated while 201 New Classrooms constructed to expand school capacity. Apart from renovations, the government constructed 201 brand-new classrooms to expand student capacity. This is in addition to the establishment 29 new Day Secondary Schools across the state to improve access to secondary education.
Even disable students were not left behind as their mobility challenges were addressed by distributing bicycles and wheelchairs, ensuring school access for students, especially those in rural areas and those living with disabilities. 350 bicycles and 90 Wheelchairs were distributed to Junior/Senior Secondary and disabled Students according report from the relevant agencies.
Giant Stride in the Health Sector
Under the people oriented Government of Danmodi, 114 Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) across Jigawa State has been revitalized, Internet Connectivity has been provided to health facilities and coordinating offices, Digitalization of the District Health Information System (DHIS2) and distribution of laptops to health personnel was implemented, training of 2,025 Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Community Health Influencers, Promoters and Services (CHIPS) Agents among others were the hallmark of this administration.
In addition, the government has renovated and furnished of Birnin-Kudu General Hospital, Specialist hospitals in Hadejia and Kazaure were equipped with advanced medical tools, solar power systems were installed in four major hospitals for energy sustainability, new accident and emergency unit, and X-ray machines were installed in Gumel General Hospital, Hospital while the furnishing, grid connection, and upgrades were carried out in Garki, Gwiwa, Gantsa, and Guri, Dialysis centres were established in 5 general hospitals: Dutse, Gumel, Hadejia, Kazaure, Ringim.
Other critical interventions includes Upgrades at health training institutions, Permanent site construction for School of Nursing & Midwifery Hadejia, Completion of Specialist Hospitals in Kazaure and Hadejia, new General Hospitals built in Ringim and Kafin-Hausa LGAs, Cryo-Oxygen Plant constructed and equipped in Dutse, diagnostic center established in Dutse
Giant Strides in Youth and Women Empowerment
One of the key decisions taken by Governor in his first year in office is the establishment of the Jigawa State Agency for Youth Empowerment to drive job creation, register unemployed youth via a dedicated database portal, and implement skills training. Through this important agency over 100,000 youth have been empowered.
This was achieved through Micro Retailers & Business Support where business kiosks and training in POS transactions and retail to hundreds of youth across the state’s political wards, disbursement of ₦50,000 cash grants to thousands of young entrepreneurs and women to scale small-scale enterprises, provision of 12,600 women across Jigawa State with individual cash grants of ₦50,000 (totaling ₦630 million) to scale up their businesses among many other achievements.
Giant Strides in Agriculture
Jigawa State agricultural sector got a big boost under the Namadi administration especially the implementation of the Jigawa State Comprehensive Agricultural Transformation Program spearheaded by the newly established Jigawa State Agricultural Transformation Agency with a budget of N13.16 billion for the implementation of Agricultural Production and Productivity Enhancement Initiatives, Agribusiness and Markets Intervention Projects, Dairy Livestock Competitiveness Initiative, State Agricultural Trade and Export Development Programme, Commercial Irrigation Expansion Projects and other Agricultural Transformation Infrastructures.
His Excellency’s disbursement of Agricultural inputs and working capital as loans to 8,432 workers and 195 political office holders which was aimed at addressing food security, grant economic empowerment, and improve the lives of civil servants in the state was one of defining moment if agricultural transformation in the state.
The State Government also approved N3.3 billion for the conduct of the Workers Agricultural Support Programme. Each of the rice farmers received the total package of N500,000, comprising N344,500 as the total cost of the inputs, while N155,500 as the cost of labour. While, the beneficiaries of sorghum, millet, and sesame received the total package of N250,000, comprising N137,500 as the cost of inputs while N112,500 as the cost of labour.
The administration of Governor Namadi procured and distributed 60,000mtof fertilizers and other farm inputs at subside rate to farmers in the State while the state government procured certified seeds for the farmers which include millet 64.1MT, rice 673.75MT, sesame6.3MTand maize3.7MT.
The government also procured solar-powered irrigation pumps to Jigawa state farmers.
As part of his agricultural mechanisation policy, the Government approved N26.274 billion for the procurement of 300 modern tractors and their accessories with a view to boost Agriculture.
The excellent performance of Gov. Danmodi was recognjzed beyound Jigawa state and numerous bodies gave him awards in that regard. His outstanding service to the people of the state earned him several local and international recognitions. He won the 2024 Leadership Newspaper Governor of the year award, Digital Governor of the year 2025 presented by the Bureau of Public Service Reform under the Presidency, Transformational Leadership award in Agriculture by Sasakawa Africa, Institute of Chartered Accounts (ICAN) award of Excellence, Revenue Magazine award for best Governor on IGR because of his deligence in financial management.
His Excellency has performed excellently well and the right way to show appreciation is to vote for him to continue his good work in 2027. May Allah grant him a resounding victory in the next general election. The good people of Jigawa are with you.
- Hauwa wrote the article from Dutse.
