By Emmanuel Ado
Governor Ahmed Aliyu was widely expected to leave a defining imprint on Sokoto State, and for the key stakeholders who staunchly backed his candidacy in the 2023 governorship election, the results of the last three(3) years have justified their confidence in his capacity to govern the State. Any skepticism that trailed his candidacy has equally been firmly answered by the sheer scale of the infrastructure projects he executed and institutional reforms that he embarked on. Three years into his mandate, his sterling performance has made a compelling case for his second term and consolidated his political capital, leading to his endorsement by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2027 gubernatorial ticket. Ultimately, in governance, the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and for the good people of Sokoto State, his first-term achievements are signs of even greater accomplishments that lie ahead.
Assuming office on May 29, 2023, Governor Ahmed Aliyu inherited a severely depleted state, heavily bogged down by debt, a demoralized, dysfunctional civil service and a despondent people. Rather than dwelling on these problems—or the fact that his predecessor, Aminu Tambuwal, bluntly refused to provide him with a formal handover note—Aliyu bypassed the traditional honeymoon period and went straight to work. He caught both allies and adversaries off guard with the speed with which he took charge. Within days, he had restored grid electricity to government ministries, the Government House, and vital public waterworks by offsetting outstanding debts to the Kaduna Electricity Company. He then rapidly cleared the mountains of refuse threatening public health and resolved a lingering scholarship crisis that had put the future of Sokoto’s students in jeopardy.
Today, through focus and relentless hard work, the Governor has delivered a spectacular performance. Beyond merely executing projects and advancing good governance, he has fundamentally restored the people’s trust in the government’s capacity to deliver services. By deploying broad-based interventions across education, healthcare, infrastructure, security, and agriculture, the administration has successfully translated its 9-Point Smart Agenda into measurable outcomes. This rapid transformation is defined by an impressive report card: one written in solid concrete- restored water lines, the aggressive completion of abandoned projects, and the payment of long-standing pension backlogs- that have brought relief to the senior citizens who gave their youth to the state.
The State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Sambo Bello Danchadi, captured this reality perfectly when he recently noted that Governor Aliyu holds himself to such a strict performance benchmark that his commissioners and other appointees are constantly being pushed to higher standards. Indeed, while Governor Aliyu would have welcomed a vibrant opposition in Sokoto State, the absence of one—due to an internal crisis—has changed absolutely nothing; as the Governor remained his own fiercest critic and most demanding taskmaster.
Beyond Governor Aliyu’s immediate emergency interventions, what are the specific, long-term achievements under the 9-Point Smart Agenda that are driving the consensus that the 2027 governorship race in Sokoto State is already a “no-contest” election?
To truly appreciate Governor Aliyu’s achievements, one must understand his foundational governance philosophy, which views leadership as both a moral imperative and a historical obligation. Those within his inner circle say that he governs with a sharp awareness of the limited time, acutely conscious that political windows are fleeting and that history ultimately judges leaders by their impact. Beyond historical legacy, however, is a deeply personal conviction: a profound belief of Governor Aliyu that he is ultimately accountable to God Almighty on Judgment Day. This dual sense of earthly stewardship and divine accountability explains the relentless urgency that has defined his administration’s actions from day one.
There is no iota of doubt that three years of focused governance by the Governor Aliyu administration have fundamentally reshaped Sokoto State’s landscape. Sokoto State has undergone a comprehensive structural renewal. The administration’s footprint is evident across every critical sector, visible in newly constructed roads, revitalized schools and hospitals, new housing estates, and illuminated streets powered by solar energy. The transformation extends beyond physical infrastructure to vital social investments, including expanded water projects, targeted security interventions, robust agricultural schemes, and impactful youth empowerment programmes, which have combined to elevate the standard of living across the state.
Agriculture, is the undisputed backbone of Sokoto State’s economy, sustaining the livelihoods of over 80% of its population. Under Governor Aliyu, the sector has received renewed strategic focus aimed at shifting farming from subsistence to a driver of improved income for the people. By deploying mechanization support, improved seedlings, timely distribution of fertilizer, and expanded irrigation schemes, the administration has transformed the agricultural landscape. This effort is further amplified by strategic partnerships – the Sustainable Power and Irrigation for Nigeria (SPIN) initiative backed by the Federal Government and the World Bank. The administration’s broader vision is a Sokoto State that has transitioned from merely producing raw commodities to developing robust agro-processing industries that add value, boost local incomes, and integrate the state’s farmers into regional and international markets.
Refusing to lament the deep decay in the educational sector, the administration moved aggressively to stabilize the system, making it a cornerstone of its governance agenda. In successive budgets, Governor Aliyu has backstopped this priority with substantial fiscal backing, aligning allocations with the upper tiers of international benchmarks. This funding has driven a visible infrastructural and human overhaul: schools across the state have been systematically renovated; more than 1,175 classrooms have either been constructed or completely rehabilitated; teachers have been recruited to reduce the number of out-of-school children, improve literacy, and provide quality job opportunities for qualified graduates; and modern learning materials have been distributed. Furthermore, the administration revived the long-abandoned scholarship programmes, which rescued the academic pursuits of Sokoto indigenes. His administration is also sponsoring tertiary students at home and abroad—particularly in high-impact fields like medicine, engineering, and information technology.
This aggressive intervention by Governor Aliyu stems from a clear understanding that Sokoto State’s ultimate asset is its human capital. As Nobel laureate economist Theodore W. Schultz famously observed, the most valuable capital of all is that invested in human beings. By anchoring its policies in this philosophy, the administration is treating education as a generational investment.
Healthcare has similarly received sustained, transformative attention from the administration. Recognizing that state-of-the-art facilities are only as good as the hands that run them, Governor Aliyu has directly confronted the chronic shortage of rural medical manpower by recruiting over 800 nurses specifically deployed to strengthen grassroots healthcare delivery. To support this workforce, the administration has aggressively overhauled the state’s medical infrastructure, constructing three new general hospitals, rehabilitating 21 existing ones, and upgrading over 160 Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) across urban and rural communities. To tackle the twin challenges of erratic grid electricity and operational continuity at the grassroots, these rural hospitals and PHCs have been fitted with solar power installations. Backed by the massive purchase of cutting-edge diagnostic equipment and the completion of the Sokoto State University Teaching Hospital—which has bridged a critical gap in tertiary care for the people —the administration is building a resilient, fully equipped health ecosystem.
What truly distinguishes the Aliyu administration from the previous administration is the relentless velocity of its interventions in the face of harsh global macroeconomic realities. At a time when many subnational governments across Nigeria have buckled under crushing debt burdens and ballooning recurrent expenditures, Governor Aliyu has maintained an amazing fiscal discipline. By emphasizing aggressive resource optimization, the administration has remarkably avoided resorting to commercial bank loans to bankroll its projects. This commitment to fiscal prudence and economic development of the state is starkly illuminated by the state’s 2026 budget, of which nearly 70% of the total allocation is devoted to capital expenditure—a bold, development-first strategy designed to lock in long-term infrastructure expansion.
Like its neighbors in the North West geopolitical zone, Sokoto State faces a persistent security challenge, particularly along its volatile eastern border with Zamfara State. Recognizing that insecurity can paralyze development, Governor Aliyu has taken a hardline, and proactive stance. To bolster intelligence gathering and local defense, the administration established the Sokoto State Community Guard Corps. This community-led effort is backed by massive state support for security agencies, including the construction of forward operating military bases in vulnerable areas, the procurement of over 180 Buffalo patrol vehicles and motorcycles, and the consistent provision of critical operational logistics. Underpinning these actions is a fundamental reality that no society can progress where fear dictates daily life. Reinforcing this resolve at a recent event in Katsina, Governor Aliyu made it explicitly clear that his administration will never negotiate with terrorists, choosing instead to mete out decisive containment.
Housing development has also received an unprecedented attention under Governor Aliyu. Within his first 100 days in office, the Governor initiated the completion of 500 housing units, commenced the construction of an additional 500, and purchased a 136-unit federal housing estate in the Kwannawa area to ease the capital’s housing deficit. Furthermore, the ambitious New Sokoto City project—featuring nearly 2,000 serviced plots—reflects a long-term urban development vision designed to accommodate expansion over the coming decades. Equally very important is the administration’s investment in power; completing the long-abandoned 38-megawatt Sokoto Independent Power Project represents a transformative intervention that will support industrialization, businesses, and public institutions. This stems from the administration’s core belief that sustainable economic transformation requires a reliable power supply.
The Governor Aliyu administration has also delivered a profound social victory by swiftly clearing the mountain of inherited pension arrears exceeding ₦14 billion—a legacy debt that had left thousands of senior citizens feeling abandoned. Governor Aliyu broke the gridlock with an initial ₦4 billion injection, followed by a sustained monthly commitment of over ₦800 million, putting the state on track to completely wipe out the backlog in the coming months. To ensure that this crisis never experienced again, the Governor has made timely provisions for civil servants retiring under his watch. This pro-labor stance also extends directly to workers currently in service; Governor Aliyu was the first state governor to implement the new National Minimum Wage. Furthermore, he has also completely overturned the previous administration’s erratic schedule—where workers routinely waited until the following month for their salary—by ensuring that civil servants now receive their wages on or before the 20th of every month.
When it comes to workforce welfare, Governor Aliyu has consistently prioritized his people. From advancing salaries during festive seasons to lowering transit fares in the wake of the fuel subsidy removal, his administration has actively put measures in place that have cushioned the economic pressures. His latest support includes approving motorcycle loans for workers, who also are a top priority in the allocation of newly constructed government estates. The administration has also taken significant steps to revitalize the workforce, including the recent recruitment of 3,000 new workers to enhance productivity across the various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Prior to Governor Aliyu’s administration, Sokoto State was plagued by an acute water crisis that frequently made headlines across both metropolitan and rural communities. Today, pipe-borne water has been comprehensively restored to the Sokoto metropolis, ending years of shortages that forced residents to rely on expensive vendors and unsafe sources. In this critical sector, long a structural challenge for the state, the administration has achieved a milestone with the completion of several key projects. The ultimate target is the injection of 40 million gallons of water per day into the system. This effort, alongside the rehabilitation of water intake facilities and the installation of solar energy systems at major waterworks to resolve underlying power challenges, has brought much-needed relief to communities that had long been plagued by scarcity for decades. In the interim, the government continues to sink boreholes to meet immediate water needs of the people while the comprehensive network overhaul is finalized.
The infrastructure renaissance under Governor Aliyu stands as the most visible argument for continuity in Sokoto State. As of early 2026, more than 300 township roads have been completed, with dozens of additional urban and rural projects currently underway. Beyond mere statistics, this transformed network of roads, bypasses, drainage systems, and the newly completed, long-abandoned bridges has fundamentally revitalized connectivity and improved local economic activities. Travel times have been drastically reduced for traders and farmers, while newly installed solar-powered streetlights have enhanced security and stimulated nighttime commerce, successfully extending the hours of trade for local market women and small businesses.
Complementing these physical transformations are foundational reforms in land administration, where digital land certificates and standardized timelines have cut bureaucratic hurdles, strengthening investor confidence and the rule of law.
Perhaps one of the most politically significant development, is the fact that across several local government areas, Governor Aliyu has been told not to bother campaigning because his good work already speaks for him. This sentiment reflects the fact that good governance has strengthened the Governor’s grassroots appeal ahead of the 2027 elections.
Despite the overwhelming gratitude for his leadership, Governor Aliyu has refused to take the electorate for granted, maintaining a leadership style grounded in humility, accessibility, and direct interaction with the ordinary citizens. His upcoming tour of communities across the state will serve a dual purpose: it is both a strategic political move and a genuine effort to listen to public concerns firsthand. Ultimately, the Governor’s political strength lies in a disciplined, deeply religious, and public service-oriented character that has remained unchanged by his office, which has resonated powerfully with the people.
These positive perceptions have increasingly earned him national acclaim, positioning Sokoto State as a reference point for good governance in the North. Notably, The Sun Newspapers named him Governor of the Year for Impactful Governance in 2024, followed by a recent honor from the New Telegraph as Governor of the Year in Human Capital Development, which cited his administration’s robust investments in education, healthcare, social welfare, and institutional strengthening.
While celebrating Sokoto State’s recent golden jubilee, the Governor Aliyu administration firmly anchored the state’s future on a foundation built to outlast political cycles. Grounded in the philosophy that real leadership is measured by what endures after transitions, Governor Aliyu has focused his administration on sweeping institutional reforms, robust revenue expansion, and youth empowerment, backed by long-term investments in energy, infrastructure, education, agriculture, climate resilience, and urban planning.
As the February 6, 2027 governorship election approaches, the ballot will ultimately serve as a referendum on Governor Ahmed Aliyu’s first term. Second terms, after all, are earned. In Sokoto today, the prevailing sentiment suggests that the Governor has spent the last three years doing exactly that. Whether the opposition can ever regroup to mount a viable challenge is increasingly secondary;as the people already view February 6th 2027 as an inevitable endorsement of continuity.