The Kano State Government has sought a strategic partnership with the North-West Development Commission (NWDC) to accelerate sustainable rural and community development, particularly in underserved communities across the state’s 44 local government areas.
Abdulrashid Y. Safana, the director of press and public relations at the NWDC in a statement sent to GLOBAL TRACKER in Kano last night said the request was made by the Commissioner for Rural and Community Development, Dr. Abdulqadir Abdussalam, during a working visit to the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the NWDC, Professor Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, at the commission’s headquarters in Kano.
During the meeting, Abdussalam presented the ministry’s Integrated Sustainability Framework for Rural and Community Development, designed to guide interventions addressing long-standing infrastructure gaps and improve living conditions in rural communities.
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The commissioner said the framework was developed around international and national development priorities, Kano State’s economic blueprint and development plan, as well as findings from a year-long grassroots needs assessment covering all 44 local government areas and nearly 400 wards.
He explained that the framework aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with nine priority goals identified as critical to improving human security and living standards in rural areas. These include quality education, good health and well-being, and access to clean water and sanitation.
At the national level, the framework draws on the National Development Plan, which prioritises basic services and infrastructure across Nigeria’s 774 local government areas, including primary healthcare, education, agriculture and rural infrastructure.
It also aligns with Kano State’s Economic Blueprint 2023 and beyond and the state development plan, which place rural transformation at the centre of inclusive growth.
Abdussalam said the ministry’s grassroots assessment involved traditional institutions, youth associations, rural residents and other community stakeholders to identify development needs and infrastructure deficits that have persisted over time.
He added that the ministry was ready to share relevant data, personnel and community structures with the NWDC to ensure that development projects are directed towards communities with the greatest needs.
Responding, Professor Ma’aji commended the ministry for adopting what he described as a systematic and data-driven approach to rural development.
He reaffirmed the commission’s mandate to promote socio-economic development and address poverty, insecurity and infrastructure deficits across the seven states of the North-West: Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara.
Ma’aji assured the delegation that the commission was committed to working with the Kano State Ministry for Rural and Community Development to deliver sustainable and equitable interventions.
“Rural development is at the heart of the NWDC mandate. We cannot develop the North-West without developing our rural communities,” he said, adding that the ministry’s framework aligned with the commission’s strategic roadmap.
The NWDC managing director further disclosed that he would direct the commission’s technical team to engage with the ministry to harmonise its grassroots needs assessment data with the commission’s project pipeline and develop a joint action plan for early implementation.
The proposed collaboration is expected to provide a framework for coordinating development priorities, identifying underserved communities and improving the targeting of projects across Kano State.
The ministry’s emphasis on data collection and community engagement is intended to ensure that interventions reflect the actual needs of rural residents, particularly in areas with significant gaps in water supply, healthcare, education, agricultural support and basic infrastructure.
The NWDC was established to drive development across the seven North-West states, while the Kano State Ministry for Rural and Community Development is responsible for coordinating initiatives aimed at improving rural infrastructure and the socio-economic conditions of communities across the state.
The outcome of the proposed partnership will depend on the development of a joint action plan and the implementation of projects based on the identified needs of communities.