Tinubu Repositioning Kano as West Africa’s Next Trade Hub — APC Chairman Yilwatda
By Onwe Wisdom, Pan Afric Reporters
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Goshwe Yiwatda, has declared that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is implementing a far-reaching economic masterplan aimed at transforming Kano State into Northern Nigeria’s economic capital and a major commercial gateway for West Africa.
The position was contained in a statement issued byAbimbola Tooki , Special Adviser on Media and Communications Strategy to the APC National Chairman.
Yilwatda said the Federal Government’s ongoing infrastructure and industrial investments in Kano and across the northern corridor are part of a deliberate and coordinated strategy to restore the state’s historic role as a commercial powerhouse.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not merely developing Kano; he is redesigning the economic future of Northern Nigeria through Kano,” he said.
According to him, the administration recognises Kano as the natural commercial nerve centre of the North and a critical gateway linking Nigeria to the Sahel and Francophone West Africa.
Highlighting key projects, Yilwatda listed the Kaduna–Kano standard gauge railway, the Kano–Maradi rail line, the Kano Metropolitan Rail Service, and the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) Gas Pipeline as central to unlocking the state’s economic potential.
He explained that the rail projects would enhance logistics efficiency, reduce transportation costs, and expand trade corridors, while the AKK gas pipeline is expected to power industries, boost manufacturing, and attract new investments.
“The Kano–Maradi rail line will open vast export and import corridors into Francophone West Africa, significantly expanding Kano’s role as Nigeria’s principal inland export gateway,” he noted.
The APC chairman also referenced ongoing road infrastructure such as the Abuja–Kaduna–Zaria–Kano highway and the proposed Sokoto–Badagry Super Highway, describing them as critical to improving connectivity and driving economic integration across regions.
Yilwatda stressed that Kano’s strategic importance lies in its large commercial ecosystem, proximity to regional markets, and historical strength in industries such as textiles, leather, and agro-processing.
“Kano hosts one of the biggest market and manufacturing clusters in Africa and remains the natural business capital of Northern Nigeria,” he said.
He added that the Tinubu administration’s broader objective is to develop Kano into Nigeria’s second major commercial hub after Lagos, thereby reducing overdependence on the southern economic axis.
“Who before now conceived this scale of integrated development for the North—rail lines, gas pipelines, metropolitan transit, industrial power, superhighways, and regional trade corridors, all designed to work together?” Yilwatda queried.
The APC chairman also criticised opposition parties, accusing them of focusing on political rhetoric rather than presenting viable development alternatives.
“While President Tinubu is building the infrastructure backbone that will transform the North for generations, the opposition is busy chasing personal ambition and power for its own sake,” he said.
Yilwatda expressed confidence that the administration’s economic strategy would redefine the region’s future and cement Kano’s place as a dominant force in regional trade.
“History will remember President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the leader who restored Kano to greatness, industrialised the North, and built the infrastructure backbone for Nigeria’s next era of prosperity,” he added.
