Kano state government, North west Nigeria has been given a grant of $200 million by the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) to boost irrigation.

The state governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje stated this while addressing party supporters and top government functionaries, at the Coronation Hall, at the government house, Kano to mark his second year in the office, as well as Democracy Day.

Ganduje explained that the amount would also be used to dredge all the major dams in the state, so as to facilitate irrigation faming all year round.

“The money will be used substantially too for de-silting of the dams for more water to be retained in the basin and distributed when the need arises,” the governor stressed

The governor promised to sustain the security apparatus of the state, so as to enhance trade and commerce in the second biggest commercial city in Nigeria.

According to him, the State Government is also complementing the Federal Government’s efforts to improve security in the Northern part of the country.

” We have built seven security dormitories at the major highways, leading to the State, as well as its exits, equipped with modern technologies to enable security operatives monitor acts of criminality, including people trooping in and out of the state,” he said.

Furthermore, he promised to reconstruct unserviceable roads, particularly on New and Niger roads, all located within the Sabon Gari Area of the State, predominantly occupied by non-indigenous communities.

He said the State Government was currently constructing about 17 roads in the Nasarawa area of the state, so as to improve network of roads in the State to boost trade and commerce.

Ganduje promised to regulate trado-medical practice in the State, in conformity with best practices nation-wide as well as ensure malaria free treatment across the 44 local government area of the state

The State governor used the occasion to outline his achievements. In agriculture, he said, over N1 billion naira was spent on the largest performing fertilizer plant in Nigeria and the fertilizer sold at subsidized rate of N5,500 to farmers.

On health, he said, N4bn was spent on building two new hospitals.

The Information Commissioner, Mallam Mohammed, enumerated the achievements of Governor Ganduje to include the construction of additional classroom blocks, as well as the construction of infrastructure, which includes network of roads, as well as the completion of hospitals, so as to enhance healthcare services on the state.