Governor Of The Year
Prior to the emergence of Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto as the Governor of Sokoto State in 2023, he held various positions, including serving as a Deputy Governor and Commissioner from 2015 to 2018. Obviously, those positions were the stepping stones for his political career.
He came to office as governor in 2023 with a 9-Point Smart Agenda designed to lift Sokoto to higher grounds. His target was to install the right infrastructure that can spur visible and measurable improvements in the key social and economic areas, like education, healthcare, agriculture, water supply, security, youth empowerment, local government autonomy and religious affairs.
In less than two years of his assumption of office, he has changed the narrative in Sokoto, having done much towards the transformation of the state.
Prior to his election as governor, Sokoto metropolis was in total darkness, being indebted to the Power Distribution Company. Also, the streets, government offices and even the Government House were overflowing with garbage.
To resolve the electricity challenge, he sought an emergency intervention with all stakeholders and power distribution company to restore electricity to the Government House, state water board, educational institutions, health and other public service institutions that were hitherto disconnected due to accumulated debts. The issue was resolved and problem solved.
Outside solving the electricity problem, Governor Sokoto has completed more than 180 projects in various sectors. In road construction, more than 30 township roads have been completed, while 40 other road projects are ongoing in various parts of the state.
Solar-powered street lights have also been installed; lighting up the night, improving safety and bringing pleasure to the residents of Sokoto metropolis and across the 23 local government headquarters of the state. He has also given housing a boost with more than 1,000 housing units nearing completion.
Under his watch, the education sector in the state has received substantial attention with the massive renovation of existing facilities and development of new ones, provision of instructional materials and timely payment of external examinations fees for the students, among others.
To show the importance Governor Sokoto attaches to education, 25 per cent of the 2025 budget is allocated to the sector, surpassing some of the international benchmark recommendations for effective funding of education in developing countries.
In the health sector, primary health centres have been renovated and made functional since 2023. New general hospitals are being built, in addition to several other commendable health initiatives, including sustained immunization and free maternity care for pregnant women.
Sokoto state currently runs one of the most down-to-earth social welfare programmes, with the state government raising monthly cash transfers to persons living with disabilities to N10,000 per beneficiary, while also making cash allocations to mosques to help cater to the needs of the less privileged persons.
In the transport sector, the governor has taken measures to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy by buying and reselling buses, motorcycles and tricycles to operators at reduced rates to help keep down transportation costs across the state.
Security sector has received a boost with the donation of 130 rugged patrol vehicles, building of military bases, provision of logistics and establishment of a community guard corps to help the federal security forces with intelligence gathering.
For these reasons and many more, Governor Sokoto is the winner of The Sun Governor of the Year Award.