The national chairman of Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing a sweeping economic strategy to reposition Kano as the commercial centre of northern Nigeria and a key gateway to West Africa.
In a statement issued in Abuja at the weekend, Nentawe Yilwatda described a series of infrastructure and industrial projects across Kano and the wider northern corridor as part of a “coordinated masterplan” rather than isolated interventions.
He argued that the administration’s approach reflects a deliberate effort to restore Kano’s historic role as a major inland trading hub linking Nigeria to the Sahel and francophone West Africa.
Among the flagship projects cited are the Kaduna–Kano standard gauge railway, expected to connect the commercial city to Abuja and southern markets, and the Kano–Maradi rail line, which is designed to extend trade routes into Niger Republic and beyond. The federal government has also approved a metropolitan rail system for Kano to ease urban congestion and improve intra-city logistics.
The APC chairman pointed to the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline as central to reviving industry in the north, saying it would supply gas to factories, fertiliser plants and power stations. He added that upgrades to the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano highway and the proposed Sokoto–Badagry superhighway would strengthen links between agricultural zones in the north and export corridors in the south.
Yilwatda framed the investment drive as both economic and strategic, arguing that Kano’s large commercial base and proximity to neighbouring countries make it critical to Nigeria’s ambitions for regional trade. Reviving manufacturing sectors such as textiles, leather and agro-processing, he said, would be key to broader industrialisation in the north.
He also suggested that the government aims to reduce pressure on Lagos by developing Kano into a second major commercial centre, presenting the policy as part of a wider effort to tackle unemployment, poverty and insecurity through economic expansion.
However, the statement also took aim at opposition parties, accusing them of focusing on political attacks rather than offering alternative economic proposals — a claim likely to deepen partisan tensions as Nigeria’s political landscape gradually shifts towards the 2027 election cycle.
While the APC insists the projects represent an unprecedented level of coordinated planning for the region, analysts have previously cautioned that timelines, funding and execution will be decisive in determining whether such ambitions translate into sustained economic transformation.
For now, the administration’s vision positions Kano not just as a regional marketplace, but as a potential logistics and industrial gateway linking Nigeria’s vast domestic economy with the wider West African hinterland.
