SENATOR KAWU SUMAILA: MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE 10TH SENATE

By Abbas Adam Abbas

Since his election to the 10th National Assembly in 2023, Senator Suleiman Abdurrahman Kawu Sumaila, OFR, PhD, representing Kano South Senatorial District, has pursued a combination of legislative representation, constituency development, security interventions and advocacy for major government projects.

His record, covering the 16 Local Government Areas of Kano South, spans agriculture and irrigation, security, roads and bridges, erosion and flood control, education, healthcare, water supply, solar lighting and economic empowerment.

Beyond the traditional responsibilities of legislative representation, his constituency engagements have also addressed some of the pressing challenges confronting communities across the district, particularly the need for improved security, agricultural productivity, infrastructure and economic opportunities.

IRRIGATION AND AGRICULTURE: SUPPORTING KANO SOUTH’S AGRICULTURAL ECONOMY

Agriculture remains one of the most important economic activities across Kano South, and irrigation has therefore occupied a prominent place in the development agenda.

A major development is the rehabilitation of the Kafin Chiri irrigation project, which forms part of the Federal Government’s broader intervention in the Tiga, Challawa and Kafin Chiri irrigation systems.

Working with the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Kawu Sumaila pushed for and supported renewed Federal Government attention to these long-neglected irrigation assets as part of efforts to expand irrigation farming, improve agricultural productivity and strengthen food security.

The Senator has consistently advocated for agricultural and irrigation development in the district and worked to bring Federal attention to the needs of his constituents. The result is the rehabilitation now underway across the Tiga, Challawa and Kafin Chiri systems.

Alongside the major Federal irrigation intervention, the Senator’s constituency record includes 6,090 tube wells drilled, with water-pumping machines provided to support irrigation, as well as more than 300 hand-pump boreholes. Approximately 1,297 hectares of farmland have also been targeted for restoration to irrigation farming.

Together, these interventions are intended to strengthen dry-season farming, expand agricultural opportunities and improve the livelihoods of thousands of farmers across Kano South.

SECURITY: COORDINATING STAKEHOLDERS AND STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY PROTECTION

Security is fundamental to development. Without peace and stability, agricultural activities, commercial transactions, education and other socioeconomic activities cannot thrive.

Recognising the security concerns confronting communities across Kano South, Senator Kawu Sumaila initiated a coordinated stakeholder engagement aimed at strengthening collaboration and improving responses to emerging security challenges.

On 23rd June 2023, the Senator convened a security stakeholders’ meeting at Guest Pride Hotel, Kano. The meeting brought together members of the National and State Assemblies, Local Government Chairmen, traditional rulers, heads of security formations and leaders of voluntary organisations.

The engagement provided a platform for assessing the security situation across the district, identifying areas of concern and developing practical strategies for improving security coordination.

Rather than treating insecurity as the responsibility of security agencies alone, the meeting emphasised collective responsibility, intelligence sharing and sustained cooperation among political leaders, traditional institutions, community representatives and professional security organisations.

At the end of the deliberations, six major resolutions were adopted to strengthen security management across Kano South:

1. Regular security stakeholders’ meetings: Institutionalising periodic meetings to review the security situation, assess emerging threats and monitor the implementation of agreed measures.
2. Inter-state security collaboration: Strengthening cooperation between the Kano and Bauchi State Governments, particularly in addressing security challenges that may extend across their shared boundaries.
3. Establishment of a security task force: Creating a coordinated mechanism to support security operations and improve responses to identified threats across the district.
4. Prompt reporting of suspected informants: Encouraging responsible and timely reporting of individuals suspected of providing information or assistance to criminal networks, with reports to be handled by the appropriate authorities.
5. Surveillance of kidnapping hotspots: Placing identified kidnapping-prone locations under strengthened security surveillance to improve monitoring, prevention and response.
6. Provision of legal support: Maintaining a team of lawyers on standby to provide necessary legal assistance in support of security-related interventions and lawful enforcement activities.

Beyond the resolutions, Senator Kawu Sumaila demonstrated his commitment through practical support to security formations, including the provision of working materials and financial assistance intended to strengthen their operational capacity.

The interventions reflect an understanding that security requires more than meetings and policy declarations; it also requires operational preparedness, institutional cooperation, adequate support and active community participation.

An important dimension of the initiative is the recognition that residents possess valuable local knowledge that can assist security agencies in identifying suspicious movements and providing timely intelligence. Community members therefore have a role to play through responsible reporting and cooperation with relevant authorities.

The Senator’s security engagement also recognises the relationship between peace and economic development. Farmers need secure access to their farmlands, traders require a safe business environment, and families need communities where children can attend school without persistent security concerns.

Although the challenges of insecurity require sustained action by all relevant authorities, the June 2023 stakeholders’ meeting established a framework for coordinated engagement and follow-up across Kano South.

The priority going forward is to sustain the meetings, monitor the implementation of the six resolutions and ensure that the security arrangements translate into improved protection of lives and property.

ROADS, BRIDGES AND CONNECTIVITY

Infrastructure and rural connectivity constitute another major component of Senator Kawu Sumaila’s record.

The constituency record identifies a 19-kilometre dual-carriageway project, alongside several rural roads and access routes across Kano South.

The record also includes 11 bridge and culvert projects aimed at improving transportation and reconnecting communities that have historically faced difficulties during the rainy season. One notable project is the Asada Bridge in Doguwa, described in the constituency record as a long-awaited crossing for the community.

These projects are particularly important for agricultural communities because better roads and bridges facilitate the movement of farmers, farm produce, traders and other economic activities between rural communities and urban markets.

Working with the Federal Government under President Tinubu’s emergency road intervention programme, the Senator also supported the rehabilitation of flood-damaged roads, bridges and hydraulic structures along the Kwanar Garko–Kibiya Road and Wudil–Garko Road.

The projects were designed to restore connectivity and improve drainage and water flow around affected communities.

EROSION AND FLOOD-CONTROL PROJECTS

Given the recurring impact of flooding and erosion in parts of Kano South, erosion control has also featured prominently in the Senator’s constituency interventions.

The record identifies 16 erosion and flood-control projects across the district.

These interventions include drainage and related infrastructure intended to protect communities, roads, farmland and other public assets from the damaging effects of erosion and flooding.

The combination of erosion-control projects with bridges, culverts and drainage infrastructure demonstrates an integrated approach to rural infrastructure: improving movement while simultaneously addressing environmental challenges that can destroy roads and isolate communities during the rainy season.

EDUCATION: INVESTING IN HUMAN CAPITAL

Education remains another major pillar of the Senator’s representation.

The record reports 1,082 scholarship beneficiaries, alongside support for students in health-related disciplines and other categories of higher education.

The interventions have also included the provision of more than 3,000 school desks and chairs, aimed at improving the learning environment in schools across Kano South.

The emphasis on scholarships and educational infrastructure reflects the importance of human-capital development to the long-term progress of the district.

HEALTHCARE: FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT AND MEDICAL EDUCATION

Healthcare is another major component of the constituency record.

The Senator’s published scorecard reports the provision of approximately 1,200 hospital beds, mattresses and related equipment to healthcare facilities across Kano South.

It also includes the construction and equipping of a 40-bed hospital at Zarewa in Rogo Local Government Area, expanding access to healthcare services for surrounding communities.

In addition, 437 students studying health-related disciplines are reported to have received educational support.

These interventions combine physical healthcare infrastructure with investment in the next generation of health professionals.

SOLAR STREETLIGHTS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

The constituency record also reports 3,745 solar-powered streetlights installed across Kano South.

The installations cover streets, markets and other public spaces, providing lighting that can improve visibility, security and economic activity within communities.

Beyond their contribution to public lighting, solar streetlights can also support community safety by improving visibility in previously poorly illuminated locations.

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT: 12 PROGRAMMES SINCE 2023

Economic empowerment remains one of the most visible aspects of Senator Kawu Sumaila’s constituency engagement, with particular attention to youth development, vocational skills, transportation and small-business support.

Since assuming office in 2023, Senator Kawu Sumaila has organised 12 empowerment programmes aimed at providing constituents with productive assets and economic opportunities.

The latest, which marked the 12th empowerment programme, was held on 26 October 2026 and featured the distribution of substantial empowerment items across different categories.

Under the programme:

· 16 vehicles were distributed to APC Local Government Chairmen across Kano South.
· 400 motorcycles were distributed to APC Local Government executives.
· 600 sewing machines were distributed to 200 tailors, with each beneficiary receiving two standard sewing machines and one industrial sewing machine.

The latest intervention demonstrates the continuation of the Senator’s empowerment initiative, with emphasis on strengthening vocational capacity, supporting transportation and providing resources for economic activities.

Beyond the latest programme, previous empowerment initiatives have also involved the distribution of vehicles, motorcycles and other productive assets to constituents across the district.

With the latest distribution, the Senator’s record has reached 12 distinct empowerment programmes within approximately three years, reflecting the sustained place of economic empowerment in his constituency development agenda.

LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATION AND NATIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Beyond constituency interventions, Senator Kawu Sumaila has maintained his legislative responsibilities in the 10th Senate.

As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Downstream Petroleum Resources, he occupies an important position in the National Assembly’s oversight of Nigeria’s petroleum downstream sector.

His national responsibilities also include legislative advocacy and engagement on issues affecting Kano South and the wider country, including infrastructure, security, education, economic development and other matters of public interest.

This dimension of his representation demonstrates the relationship between constituency development and participation in national policymaking, legislative oversight and advocacy.

A RECORD ACROSS 16 LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREAS

Taken together, Senator Kawu Sumaila’s published constituency record identifies 102 major projects and interventions across the 16 Local Government Areas of Kano South. These figures represent the major areas highlighted in the constituency record and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive account of every activity undertaken during the period. The security initiative is also presented separately from the 102 development projects.

The major areas include:

· Agriculture and irrigation: 6,090 tube wells, water-pumping machines, more than 300 hand-pump boreholes and approximately 1,297 hectares targeted for irrigation restoration.
· Roads: A 19-kilometre dual-carriageway project and rural access roads.
· Bridges and drainage: 11 bridge and culvert projects.
· Erosion and flood control: 16 intervention sites.
· Education: 1,082 scholarship beneficiaries and more than 3,000 school desks and chairs.
· Healthcare: Approximately 1,200 hospital beds, mattresses and related equipment, a 40-bed hospital at Zarewa and support for 437 health-related students.
· Solar energy: 3,745 solar streetlights.
· Economic empowerment: 12 empowerment programmes since 2023, including the latest distribution of 16 vehicles, 400 motorcycles and 600 sewing machines to 200 tailors.

In addition to these development projects, the Senator’s security engagement has focused on stakeholder coordination, intelligence sharing, inter-state collaboration, security surveillance, operational support and legal assistance.

CONCLUSION: DEVELOPMENT, SECURITY AND THE RESPONSIBILITY OF REPRESENTATION

Senator Kawu Sumaila’s record in the 10th Senate reflects an approach to representation that combines constituency-level interventions, legislative responsibilities, security engagement and advocacy for major Federal Government projects.

For Kano South, one of the significant aspects of this period has been the attention given to agriculture, irrigation and rural infrastructure. Working with the Federal Government under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on major irrigation infrastructure, particularly the Kafin Chiri system, alongside constituency-level investments in roads, bridges, drainage and erosion control, the Senator has supported efforts to strengthen agricultural production and connectivity across the district.

Equally important is the security dimension of his constituency engagement. By convening security stakeholders, facilitating the adoption of six resolutions and providing practical support to security formations, he has established a platform for collective engagement on the protection of lives and property.

The increase to 12 empowerment programmes also highlights the Senator’s continued engagement with constituents through economic support initiatives targeting different categories of beneficiaries.

Ultimately, the measure of these interventions will be their completion, sustainability and tangible impact on the people of Kano South. Development must be accompanied by security, just as economic empowerment must be supported by an environment where citizens can live, work, trade and pursue their ambitions without fear.

To the people of Kano South — the farmers, traders, students, artisans, health workers, youths and families who have supported this journey — the Senator remains grateful for their trust and continued support.

As the 10th Senate progresses towards the conclusion of its mandate, the responsibility remains to consolidate ongoing projects, sustain security engagements and ensure that the benefits of representation reach communities across all 16 Local Government Areas.

For Kano South, the development agenda is not only about building infrastructure and creating economic opportunities; it is also about protecting lives, strengthening communities and securing a better future.

Abbas Adam Abbas is the
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Senator Kawu Sumaila