The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, has appealed to the Sokoto State Government to extend the implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage to traditional rulers in the state.
The Sultan made the call on Sunday during a town hall meeting organised by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning ahead of the presentation of the 2026 budget proposal. He was represented by the District Head of Wurno (Sarkin Sudan of Wurno), Alhaji Kabiru Cigari-Alhassan.
Abubakar reaffirmed the traditional institution’s support for government policies and programmes, stressing that traditional rulers remain partners in progress and should be carried along in welfare-related decisions.
A representative of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), Malama Sa’adatu Abubakar, urged the state government to renovate the Abdulrashid Adisa Raji Special School and establish additional special schools to better cater for children with disabilities. She commended Governor Ahmad Aliyu’s administration for its interventions so far but noted that more still needed to be done.
The representative of women groups, Nafisa Adamu-Gorori, called for more water projects, lamenting that water scarcity affects women’s livelihoods. She said many small businesses rely heavily on water, and long hours spent fetching it prevent girls from attending school and worsen sanitation challenges.
Other contributors, Malama Maimuna Yahaya and Musa Bilya, appealed for the renovation of the abandoned Murtala Muhammad Hospital and the provision of more school furniture across the state. Representatives of Islamic groups and civil society organisations, Fodio Zakariya and Abdurahman Umar, urged the government to prioritise people-centred programmes and expand Islamic schools to deepen moral education.
Mr Augustine Onah, speaking for the residents, commended the governor’s performance and requested the construction of more link roads to support commerce.
Former Deputy Governor, Alhaji Chiso Dattijo, noted that Sokoto has 5.3 million youths out of its 7.2 million population and called for expanded youth empowerment and skills acquisition programmes.
Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Dr Abubakar Zayyana, said the town hall meeting was part of the government’s efforts to broaden consultations in line with global best practices for transparency in budget formulation.
UNICEF representative, Mr Micheal Juma, commended the state’s commitment to child welfare, nutrition, healthcare, education and social protection, urging sustained and increased budgetary support.
Responding, Governor Aliyu reaffirmed that Islamic religious programmes would continue to receive priority funding under his administration’s Nine-Point Agenda. He disclosed that four water schemes were slated for refurbishment, two of which had been completed.
He added that solar-powered systems had been installed at State Water Board facilities and hospitals to mitigate erratic power supply, while 60 per cent of schools had received new furniture, with the rest to follow.
Aliyu also announced a new partnership with experts from the United Arab Emirates on joint healthcare and education programmes expected to take off soon.
