The United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Hajiya Amina Mohammed, has pledged the UN’s commitment to support the Kano State Government in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with particular focus on key sectors such as health, education, agriculture, power, and digital infrastructure.
Mohammed made the commitment during a courtesy visit to Governor Abba Yusuf at the Kano Government House on Sunday. She was in the state en route to Daura, Katsina State, where she offered condolences to the family of late President Muhammadu Buhari, who died recently in London and was buried in his hometown earlier in the week.
Speaking during the visit, Mohammed described Kano as a strategic hub of production activities with a large youth population, stressing the need for targeted solutions to address developmental challenges in the region.
“We have the goals that we set at the UN, that is the SDGs, which have five years to go. Being part of the region, the UN is looking at the developmental challenges and what we can do. The UN has been working with the North East and North West governments,” she said.
“Kano is a centre of much production activities, young people and population. I am here to really know what the challenges are, progress made, and what we can do at the UN to support the government, especially in health, education, agriculture, power, and digital public infrastructure.”
Mohammed also commended several of Governor Yusuf’s initiatives that align with global development goals. These include the ongoing solarization of public spaces in Kano, the establishment of the Kano Centre for Disease Control—the first of its kind created by any state in Nigeria—and the expansion of healthcare coverage for the informal sector through the state health insurance scheme.
She further praised the creation of the Ministry of Power and Renewable Energy, as well as the renaming and repositioning of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, describing them as key steps toward sustainability and climate action.
Mohammed said her visit was not only to pay condolences, but also to deepen advocacy on the SDGs and strengthen collaboration with Kano State in achieving inclusive and resilient development.
In response, Governor Yusuf reaffirmed Kano’s readiness to engage in strategic partnerships with UN agencies in Nigeria. He identified key priority areas including education, healthcare, climate change, renewable energy, environmental protection, and sustainable investment.
The governor also reiterated his administration’s commitment to implementing people-centered policies that improve living conditions in Kano and contribute meaningfully to national and global development efforts.
