Kano Marginalised in the North? A Call for Reflection and Reawakening
By Abdulkadir Aliyu Shehu
The recent security meeting of Northern Governors and Traditional Rulers has sent shockwaves across the region, not because of its outcomes but because of who was missing. Notably, neither the governor of Kano State nor the emir of Kano was present. This conspicuous absence raises serious concerns.
For many observers, this feels like a deliberate effort to exclude Kano from the political and cultural heart of Northern Nigeria. This is not just a political snub; it strikes at the historical, economic, and spiritual role Kano has long played in the region.
To understand the magnitude, imagine a Southwest summit without Lagos. Unthinkable. Yet this is what has unfolded in the North, with Kano, a foundational state, left out of crucial regional deliberations.
Lagos is the economic engine of the Southwest; Kano holds a similar status in the North. Sidelining Kano is akin to cutting off the region’s lifeblood, historically and symbolically.
For over a thousand years, Kano has been a vibrant centre of trans-Saharan trade, connecting West Africa to North Africa and the wider Arab world; it has served as a melting pot of commerce, culture, and scholarship.
Kano’s influence wasn’t accidental; it was earned through generations of hard work, resilience, and innovation. The city welcomed traders, scholars, and thinkers from across Africa and beyond, shaping it into a global hub.
Kano also made history in 1920 when it became the site of Nigeria’s first airport and the first city where an aircraft landed, it was a centre of modernity even before independence.
Beyond trade and transport, Kano has been a citadel of Islamic scholarship and political activism.
The Kano Emirate has long provided spiritual guidance and moral authority, not just in Nigeria but across West Africa.
The absence of both the governor and the emir from a gathering of their peers cannot be overlooked. Was this a regrettable oversight or a calculated message?
If accidental, it reveals incompetence at a dangerous level. If intentional, it demands a serious explanation: Why is one of the North’s oldest and most significant institutions being sidelined?
The credibility of the Northern Governors Forum and the Northern Traditional Rulers Council is at stake, they truly represent the North, or only a select few within it?
Increasingly, these forums appear to function more as instruments of exclusion than unity. The pattern of marginalising key voices raises fundamental questions about fairness and balance.
This is a moment of reckoning for Kano. Its leaders and citizens must critically evaluate the state’s continued membership in regional bodies that appear to disrespect its status and contributions.
Kano has never been a peripheral player; historically, it has led from the front politically, economically, and culturally. Accepting second-class treatment now would betray that legacy.
In 1963, Kano leaders, facing similar marginalisation, founded the Kano People’s Party (KPP) to assert their political identity and protect the state’s interests, moving inspired by the ganging up against the late Emir of Kano, Sir Muhammadu Sanusi I, culminating in the creation of Kano State by the Gowon military era. Their courage should inspire today’s generation.
Reviving that spirit of bold self-assertion is essential not to divide the region but to safeguard Kano’s dignity and voice in the North’s evolving political landscape.
This is a time for unity within Kano. Political leaders, traditional rulers, and civil society must come together to define a clear vision for Kano’s role moving forward.
Silence is no longer an option. Injustice ignored only grows bolder. Now is the time for Kano to speak clearly and act decisively.
Demanding equity is not rebellion; it is the foundation of true unity of North that excludes cannot endure; a partnership that fails to respect all members is already broken.
History is watching. Kano’s future must not be shaped by silence but by principled leadership and unwavering integrity. Let this moment be a turning point to reaffirm our relevance, protect our heritage, and reclaim our rightful place.
Abdulkadir Aliyu Shehu, a journalist and concerned Kano citizen, writes from Gombe and can be reached via danfodio247@gmail.com.
