Dahir M Hashim

In furtherance of my responsibilities as Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Water Resources, I visited the ongoing construction of the 900-metre-long Tamburawa Raw Water Intake Channel to assess its progress. The project is a critical component of Kano State's water infrastructure development agenda and, upon completion, will complement the Challawa Water Treatment Plant, where water distribution to Greater Kano has commenced. During the inspection, I charged the contractors, China Geo-Engineering Corporation (CGC), to accelerate construction activities, strengthen site coordination, and mobilise the necessary resources to ensure timely project delivery. Our priority is to ensure that this strategic investment translates into improved access to safe and reliable water supply for the good people of Kano State. We will maintain close supervision, accountability, and engagement with the contractors to ensure delivery within the stipulated timeline. Dr. Dahiru M Hashim. Honorable Commissioner, Ministry of Water Resources, Kano State.

As part of the Kano State Government's strategic commitment under the leadership of His Excellency Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf, to revitalising public water infrastructure and expanding access to clean water in rural and semi-urban communities, I conducted an assessment visit to the Thomas Water Treatment Plant, Dambatta, where rehabilitation works are now underway after the facility remained non-functional for a long period of time. The intervention has restored the plant's capacity to pump 650,000 litres of water daily, with a target of 4.8 million litres per day upon completion. Once completed, the facility will supply potable water to Dambatta, Makoda and Minjibir towns, strengthening public health and supporting socio-economic activities, across these communities. Interestingly, residents of Kunya community are expected to begin receiving water before the end of this week. These efforts reflect the administration's deliberate strategy of restoring existing public water infrastructure, and affirm the commitment of the state government, to equitable access to essential water services across urban, rural and semi-urban communities. Dr. Dahiru M Hashim Honorable Commissioner, Ministry of Water Resources, Kano State. – at Kano, Nigeria

Looking back on my time at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, one change I value most is how the public came to see the sector itself. Environmental protection became a stronger part of conversations about our health, neighbourhoods, livelihoods, and Kano's future. People increasingly joined the work, supported our programmes, and held us accountable. For that, I thank the people of my dear state. This journey began for me on 6 January 2025, when His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, the Executive Governor of Kano State, entrusted me with the responsibility of leading the Ministry. The challenges were clear. Facilities had deteriorated, policies needed updating, enforcement was weak, and frontline workers were owed outstanding payments. Yet His Excellency saw what the Ministry could become and gave us the support to begin rebuilding it. Our government-owned nurseries tell part of that story. Eight facilities that had become non-functional were fully rehabilitated, restoring our capacity to produce seedlings locally. Building on the administration’s three-million-tree planting programme in 2024, the programme grew to five million in 2025 and ten million in 2026, with all seedlings raised in government-owned nurseries. Behind those numbers was the recovery of public facilities that could continue serving Kano for years to come. The same determination guided the restoration of the Kano State Pollution Control Laboratory. We renovated, equipped, and recommissioned it, giving the State the scientific capacity to test, monitor pollution, and support enforcement. We operationalised the Environmental Pollution Control Law and developed the Environmental Pollution and Waste Control Regulations to give that work a stronger legal foundation. At REMASAB, reforms improved the coordination of waste collection, evacuation, and disposal. Waste management became more organised and responsive, with operations supporting the evacuation of approximately one million metric tonnes of waste. The Dorayi Compost Plant was also brought back into operation, restoring the capacity to turn organic waste into useful compost and creating opportunities for investment. Across flood-prone communities, we undertook drainage construction, clearance and erosion control. The stormwater harvesting intervention in Toranke and work on the Kano State Drainage Master Plan formed part of our effort to move towards better protection and long-term planning. We also restored four public parks, with more underway. Spaces that had suffered neglect were given new management arrangements and a clear responsibility for maintenance. Families now have more welcoming places to spend time together, while the parks’ combined annual revenue increased from around ₦5 million to ₦90 million. Alongside these projects, we rebuilt the policy foundations of the sector. We developed the Kano State Climate Change Policy, its implementation plan and results framework; advanced the Climate Change Bill; and reviewed the Forestry Law after more than five decades. We also developed the Climate Finance Reform Action and Implementation Plan and the Green Bond Framework to prepare Kano for environmental and climate investment. Kano’s third-place finish in the just-concluded 2026 Climate Governance Performance Ranking, and the opportunity to present our work at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, gave us reasons to be thankful. They also reminded us how far consistent support and collective effort could take the state. None of this work could have continued without the people delivering it every day. With His Excellency’s backing, we cleared nine months of salary arrears for 2,369 verified street sweepers and doubled their stipends, re-engaged inspectors and forest guards, and doubled the stipends of 875 sanitation vanguards. I remain grateful for their service. – at Dakata, Nigeria

A jiya, mun gudanar da kashi na biyu na rabon risho masu tsafta (clean cookstoves), inda muka raba sabbin risho guda 1,500 ga mata masu karamin karfi a fadin Jihar Kano. Wannan muhimmin mataki na daga cikin ci gaba da kokarinmu na kare muhalli, rage sare bishiyoyi, rage gurbacewar iska, da kuma kare lafiyar mata da iyalai daga illar hayakin itace yayin girki. Muna mika godiya ta musamman ga Mai Girma Gwamnan Jihar Kano, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, bisa jajircewarsa wajen yakar sauyin yanayi da kuma tallafa wa al'umma a matakin farko. Baya ga risho din, Mai Girma Gwamna ya hada wa kowace mace da ta amfana da wannan shiri da tallafin kudi Naira 25,000 domin bunkasa kananan sana'o'insu da inganta rayuwarsu. Dr. Dahiru M. Hashim Kwamishina, Ma'aikatar Albarkatun Ruwa, Muhalli da Sauyin Yanayi, Jihar Kano. – at Rijiyar Zaki, Nigeria

Following our historic leap from 35th to 4th position in 2025, I am proud to announce that Kano State has once again advanced to 3rd position in the 2026 Subnational Climate Governance Performance Ranking. This continuous progress is a direct reflection of the visionary leadership of His Excellency, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, whose deliberate administrative actions and strengthened coordination continue to drive our climate-resilience agenda. This achievement stems from our absolute determination to translate climate commitments into practical, measurable outcomes. We have solidified our institutional framework through the Kano State Climate Change Policy and the ongoing advancement of the Climate Change Bill to ensure clear responsibilities and accountability. These policies are actively backed by massive grassroots interventions, including our digitally tracked 10 Million Trees Campaign utilizing GPS-verified planting locations, urban greening efforts, and the strategic deployment of renewable energy across public institutions. We deeply appreciate the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Society for Planet and Prosperity (SPP), and all our development partners for spearheading this assessment and providing sustained support. While this ranking proves that our governance reforms are working, we will not relent; we remain fully focused on consolidating these gains to build a cleaner, greener, water-secure, and climate-resilient Kano State. Dr. Dahiru M. Hashim Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Water Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Kano State.