When the governor of Sokoto state, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto, was sworn in 2023, many expected him to surpass his predecessor. Yet, not many would have imagined that he would do so in such exceptional fashion, steadily transforming the face of the state and redefining the expectations of governance in Sokoto.
From people-centred policies that prioritise the welfare of workers, religious leaders, women and children, to a deliberate and intentional focus on ending the water crisis that kept Sokoto state on its knees for years, the Aliyu administration has moved with unusual clarity of purpose. In road infrastructure, improved healthcare services, upgraded schools and the deliberate prioritisation of security, the governor has exceeded expectations and steadily built a record that increasingly appears difficult for political opponents to challenge.
As policies and government action go, none of Governor Aliyu’s projects can rival the scale and impact of the water works intervention. For years, the water crisis in Sokoto had become a painful symbol of administrative failure under the administration of Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. The people of Sokoto endured nearly eight years of excruciating water crisis, making access to potable water an existential threat.
At one point in the not-so-distant past, the situation became so dire that a simple jerry can of water could cost an arm and a leg. Families struggled daily for what should have been the most basic necessity of life. Businesses were forced to improvise. Entire communities depended on water vendors for survival.
Today, that painful chapter is rapidly fading into memory. Through aggressive rehabilitation and expansion of the state’s water supply infrastructure, Governor Aliyu’s administration has revived six major water schemes across the metropolis. These include the Tamaje Water Scheme, Old Airport Water Scheme, Gagi Water Scheme, Mana Water Scheme, Runjin Sambo Water Scheme and the Ruga Liman Water Scheme, the projects designed to dramatically improve urban water supply capacity.
Together, these schemes are capable of supplying roughly 40 million gallons of water per day, restoring steady access to safe drinking water across large sections of Sokoto metropolis and surrounding communities.
Then there is housing. Across the state, hundreds of housing units initiated by earlier administrations were left abandoned during the immediate past government, allowed to deteriorate and rot away in the unforgiving Sokoto sun. Instead of launching entirely new projects for political spectacle, Governor Aliyu chose a more responsible path: taking over these abandoned developments and completing them for the benefit of the people.
Among the flagship housing initiatives currently underway are the construction of about 1,000 housing units in Gidan Salanke and Wajake, as well as the purchase of 137 housing units in the Kwannawa area originally built by the Federal Government.
In addition, the administration has commenced the construction of 500 new housing units along the Kalambaina–Wamakko axis, consisting mainly of two- and three-bedroom units aimed at addressing the state’s growing housing deficit.
To the people of Sokoto, these projects are not merely about bricks and mortar. They represent fidelity to the social contract entered with the people, the execution of which amounts to a broader commitment to urban planning, dignified living conditions and responsible stewardship of public resources.
The Sokoto urban renewal programme has equally transformed the face of the capital. Road infrastructure has witnessed remarkable attention under the present administration. Across Sokoto metropolis and several local government areas, roads that had long been impassable are being reconstructed or expanded.
Within a short period in office, the administration has constructed and rehabilitated over 80 township roads across Sokoto metropolis, while dozens more remain under construction.
Among the notable examples are the reconstruction of Acimarai Jumaat Mosque Road to Mabera Roundabout, the Unguwar Rogo Police Station Junction to Mabera Roundabout road, and the link road connecting Mabera Roundabout to the Eastern Bypass, all designed with modern drainage systems to address the chronic flooding that once plagued the area.
Other road interventions span neighbourhoods such as Gawon Nama, Runjin Sambo, Sahara area, Remen Kura, New Arkilla, Tudun Wada and Low-Cost, forming an expanding network of urban roads aimed at improving mobility, enhancing commerce and connecting communities.
In healthcare, the administration has equally embarked on the renovation and upgrading of several primary and secondary health facilities across the state. These interventions include rehabilitation of hospitals, equipment upgrades and strengthening of personnel support to improve healthcare delivery for ordinary citizens.
Education has not been left behind either. School rehabilitation programmes, classroom construction and improved support for teachers have become recurring features of the administration’s policies. By renovating dilapidated classrooms and upgrading facilities across public schools, the government is gradually rebuilding the foundation upon which the future of Sokoto’s children depends.
Security, a critical issue across northern Nigeria, has also received sustained attention. The creation of the Sokoto Community Guards Corps represents an innovative approach to community-based intelligence gathering and coordination with national security agencies. The outfit works alongside the military, police and other agencies to strengthen grassroots intelligence and enhance response capabilities against banditry and terrorism.
The sincerity of the governor’s commitment to security was further reflected in the Federal Government’s decision to designate Sokoto as the headquarters of the North-West Theatre of Operations, a move that intensified operations against bandit groups in the region. These operations ultimately contributed to the neutralisation of notorious terror kingpin Halilu Sububu and several other criminal elements that had terrorised communities across the North-West.
Beyond strategic coordination, the Sokoto State Government has also provided operational support to security agencies through the procurement and donation of patrol vehicles, logistics support and welfare incentives aimed at boosting the morale of troops in the field.
Yet perhaps one of the most visible expressions of Governor Aliyu’s human-face governance philosophy lies in his social welfare programmes, amongst which is the state’s revamped and greatly expanded Ramadan feeding initiative. The initiative is activated every year during the holy month of Ramadan, whereupon the Sokoto State Government implements a large-scale feeding programme designed to provide relief to fasting Muslims and vulnerable residents.
Under Governor Aliyu’s administration, the programme has expanded significantly, reaching tens of thousands of beneficiaries across all 23 local government areas of the state, with hundreds of designated feeding centres distributing cooked meals daily throughout the fasting period.
The initiative reflects the administration’s broader emphasis on compassion-driven governance, ensuring that the most vulnerable members of society are not forgotten during periods of economic strain.
Another symbolic example of this philosophy can be seen in the ongoing reconstruction of the burnt section of the Sokoto Central Market. When, in 2021, a section of the market was engulfed in flames, the tragedy attracted the usual fanfare of official sympathy and promises of swift reconstruction. Yet years passed without meaningful action, leaving traders stranded and businesses crippled.
Succour finally came when Governor Ahmed Aliyu awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the affected section of the market, mobilising contractors with 50 percent of the over ₦8 billion contract sum. More significantly, the administration allowed the affected traders themselves to nominate the contractor they trusted to handle the project — a rare example of participatory governance in action.
This approach has become characteristic of Governor Aliyu’s leadership style: inclusive, pragmatic and people-focused. It is, in fact, in keeping faith with the same philosophy that the policy of providing stipends to imams and their deputies across the state was informed. The purpose was to recognise and encourage the role religious leaders play as moral guides within society.
Taken together, these interventions tell a compelling story. From water supply to housing, roads, security, social welfare and market reconstruction, the administration has steadily built a record of tangible development.
Perhaps, the consolidating act was Gov. Aliyu’s recent tower of felicitations across the state, where, unlike others, he came down from his high horse to pay homage to his employers, the people of Sokoto state during the recent Sallah celebration, while commiserating with those bereaved.
As Sokoto state moves closer to the next electoral cycle, the political implications of these achievements are becoming clearer. One good tenure, naturally deserves another, and in the case of Sokoto, this fact can’t be any clearer.
Governance, after all, remains the most powerful campaign message any leader can offer. With the opposition all but dismantled under the weight of the governor’s impactful showing since 2023, it’s feels safe to start looking at the future, and the expectations that come with continuity.
Because, if the present trajectory continues, the road to 2027 may indeed prove smoother than many anticipated for Governor Ahmed Aliyu and this won’t be because of political manoeuvring, but because development itself has become the loudest endorsement of his administration.
