Governor Yusuf And Healthcare Iniatives In Kano State -By Abubakar Musa Idris

Last Friday, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf stood before health workers, mothers, and community leaders in Kano to announce the full reopening of malnutrition treatment centres in all 44 local government areas of the state. It was not just a ceremonial flag-off.

For the first time in almost a decade, these centres once lifelines for starving children were restored to full capacity, ready to take in and treat the most vulnerable. The numbers tell their own story. More than 17,000 severely malnourished children are expected to receive life-saving care through this renewed programme.

The revival comes after years of shameful neglect by previous administrations, during which the stunting rate climbed to a devastating 51.9 per cent. For Governor Yusuf, this is more than a policy directive, it is a rescue mission. His administration has committed N500 million to UNICEF’s Child Nutrition Fund, making Kano the single highest state contributor in Nigeria.

That fund has enabled the procurement of 12,948 cartons of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, a life-saving supply that will reach children who had long been forgotten. This intervention sits within a broader health and welfare strategy that has marked Yusuf’s two years in office. He treats malnutrition not as an isolated crisis but as part of an interconnected challenge involving healthcare, nutrition, and social protection.

It is an approach that strengthens the whole system rather than scattering short-term fixes. In maternal and child health, the governor has demonstrated the same urgency and depth. The 2024 Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health Week, backed by over N1 billion, has already saved countless lives and plans are in motion for a second phase in December 2025.

His establishment of a 25-member State Taskforce on Immunization and the renovation of critical facilities like the Nuhu Bamalli Maternity Hospital show a methodical focus on both immediate service delivery and long-term capacity. He has also worked to bridge the gap between traditional and modern medicine.

Over 5,000 traditional medicine vendors across 28 local government areas have been screened and certified, ensuring that while cultural practices are respected, safety and quality are not compromised. UNICEF has publicly acknowledged Kano’s leadership in this area.

Dr. Serekeberehan Seyoum Deres praised the state’s exceptional commitment to child nutrition, an assessment many Kano residents share when they look at the changes unfolding around them. What makes these achievements stand out is the difficult terrain in which they were made. Governor Yusuf inherited a health system that had been starved of investment for years.

The eight-year abandonment of malnutrition programmes was compounded by decades of underfunding in basic services. Responding to urgent humanitarian needs while also laying the foundations for sustainable progress has demanded both strategic vision and relentless execution.

Importantly, his projects are built to outlast his tenure. By focusing on training health workers, creating functional frameworks, and embedding programmes into the state’s systems, Yusuf is ensuring these gains are not dependent on his presence in office.

The message his leadership sends is clear: governance works when it puts people before politics. Kano today is not just recovering from years of neglect, it is charting a new course for what determined, people-centred leadership can achieve.