Kebbi State Governor, Comrade Nasir Idris, in this interview, says his experience as former Deputy President of the Nigeria Labour Congress and ex-President of the Nigeria Union of Teachers has been of immense advantage to him in governance. He also explains that apart from blocking revenue leakages and raising internally generated revenue, his All Progressives Congress-led government has delivered 90 per cent of its campaign promises. Onyebuchi Ezigbo brings excerpts:
How has your experience in the labour movement affected your performance as governor?
As a labour person, even though I am now on the other side of the divide, there is no way I can forget the labour movement. It was the labour movement, particularly the NLC and NUT, that made me what I am today.
My ambition was to become the number one worker in Nigeria and the number one teacher in Nigeria. By the grace of God, I achieved both. I emerged as President of NUT and Deputy President of NLC. Majority of the affiliate unions had endorsed me to lead the NLC when the time came. But God had a different plan. He had a higher responsibility in mind.
I was sitting in my house when the opportunity to contest the governorship came. The sitting governor had indicated his preference for the then Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice to succeed him. He invited us and said he preferred the Commissioner for Justice. He asked for my opinion.
I told him I had accepted his position. Morally, he was the sitting governor and had the responsibility to decide whom he wanted to succeed him. I assured him I would support whoever he chose. I was even the person who led the delegation to submit the nomination form at the APC national secretariat. The form was filled out in my house in Birnin Kebbi.
But God had already destined that position for me. One day, somebody called me and asked, “Are you Comrade Nasir Idris?” I answered yes. He asked whether I was not contesting the governorship. I told him we were supporting the Commissioner for Justice. He responded that the Commissioner had not told me he was no longer interested. He advised me to purchase the form because the people loved me and wanted me to lead them.
He ended the call without introducing himself. I tried to call back and searched the number, including through Truecaller, but I could not find it. That is how God works.
I contacted the sitting governor and informed him I had made up my mind to contest. That is why I describe my emergence as divine.
The journey was very challenging. Many influential APC members left for PDP and joined forces with a retired military general who had left the military about five months earlier. They questioned how a comrade and teacher could govern a state. But workers and the masses stood by me — teachers, market women, artisans, labourers, drivers and ordinary people.
I won in 18 out of 21 local government areas and was leading by 45,278 votes when the election was declared inconclusive. In the supplementary election, out of about 30,000 votes, I secured approximately 19,000 and was declared winner. Within 24 hours, my opponent went to the tribunal. We won at the tribunal, at the Court of Appeal and eventually at the Supreme Court.
My background prepared me for governance. I had managed responsibilities at local government, state and national levels, and participated in regional and international labour engagements. I presided over NUT, an organisation of educated professionals, and acted as President of NLC before resigning. When I became governor, I did not find it difficult to adapt. I was born in Birnin Kebbi, grew up there, worked there and led teachers and workers. I understood their challenges.
I made several promises during campaigns, and by God’s grace, I have fulfilled almost 90 per cent. No leader is perfect.
Before the election, I established a five-man committee to document every promise I made. When we formed government, the committee submitted its report.
For instance, I promised workers a conducive working environment by bringing all workers under one roof. Today, we have a new secretariat with capacity for about 25,000 workers. I also promised to address minimum wage. Workers were receiving N30,000. Today, we have implemented N75,000. We have also addressed teachers’ welfare, including those previously not enjoying minimum wage. The era of treating teachers as second-class workers is over.
When we negotiated minimum wage, labour presented its position and government presented its own. The difference was just about N108 million. As a former labour leader, I directed that we adopt labour’s proposal to ensure industrial peace. Today, you hardly hear complaints that workers have been shortchanged.
Will Kebbi implement additional interventions to cushion economic difficulties?
I am aware of the intervention the Federal Government approved. As a former labour leader, I believe something should also be done in Kebbi. I have constituted a committee under the Head of Service. Whenever the Federal Government increases salaries or approves an intervention, Kebbi will be among the first to implement it.
I understand purchasing power has been significantly eroded. The President has done well by approving an additional N70,000 transport allowance. Governors must also demonstrate responsibility. I do not want to pre-empt the committee, but workers will see improvement.
What other achievements has your administration recorded?
We do not owe salaries, pensions, gratuities or other retirement benefits. We have implemented promotions and annual increments. When a worker retires, we calculate full entitlement and pay it. If retirement falls within the payment schedule, the name is included that month. In case of death, family receives appropriate benefits.
We have acquired about 155 housing units through the Federal Mortgage Bank, 250 are under construction for workers, and 75 are being renovated. Some will be inaugurated in December, 2026.
We have recruited 2,000 teachers and 2,000 health workers, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists, plus other categories including security personnel. We have absorbed casual workers into the civil service. As a labour leader who fought casualisation, I cannot allow it to thrive under me.
Kebbi was ranked low in IGR. How has it fared?
I do not entirely agree with some rankings. Sometimes people sit in Abuja and calculate figures without visiting. We have worked hard to block leakages and ensure revenue is properly accounted for. There has been significant improvement compared with what we collected before.
How confident are you that APC will retain Kebbi, given opposition figures like Atiku Abubakar and Rabiu Kwankwaso?
By God’s grace, we are confident. Election is assessed by performance. There is no administration that has introduced as many packages as the present Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu. Kebbi has never had it so good in development. My philosophy is that governance must bring projects to the doorsteps of people. For instance, the Malando Road linking Yauri to Ngaski is ongoing.
How would you describe federal presence in infrastructure?
When we went on campaign tours, people appealed about abandoned roads. We met Mr President and drew his attention to it. Contractors said inadequate funding caused abandonment. I took it up with Mr President and funding was made available. The contractor has returned to site.
There is the Augie-Kangiwa-Kamba road, originally awarded in 1979 during late Alhaji Shehu Shagari’s administration. Since then, little was done. Now Tinubu’s administration has awarded it and contractors are working day and night.
There is also the Koko-Zuru-Kala-Kala road, and the Koko-Dawesulu-Zuru road, one of the worst in Kebbi. My administration is handling it on behalf of the Federal Government. The project is about 87km, divided among three companies: Abib Nigeria Limited, ZBCC and JNIC. Previously, Koko to Zuru took about six and a half hours. Today it is about two hours. On completion, it will be about one hour.
Some people say federal government’s economic policies have brought hardship. What is your response?
The only permanent thing is change. If we go through difficulties today and our children do not experience the same hardship tomorrow, we have succeeded. Previous governments may have lacked courage to introduce reforms. Every policy has long-term benefits. At the end of the tunnel, Nigerians will have reasons to smile.
How has your administration performed in health?
About 300,000 people benefit from KACHIMA, our health insurance scheme. We plan to enrol additional 50,000 people by early next year. Out of 33 general hospitals, we are working on 27, plus three new ones. Some had not been renovated since 1978. We are also working on 175 of 225 primary healthcare centres.
Unfortunately, some misrepresent our hospitals. An opposition candidate presented images of an elderly man without mattress, but that hospital was in Kafur, Katsina State, not Kebbi.
I challenge critics to show a school they attended and whether they provided even a table and chair. In my own primary school in Birnin Kebbi, I renovated classrooms, provided electricity, water and furniture.
The former Attorney-General left APC. Was he pushed out?
I do not want to go into that. But since independence, has there been any Minister of Justice who enjoyed the kind of opportunities he enjoyed? That is enough for reflection.
What about fake news ahead of 2027?
Fake news is a general problem. But our people know what an administration has brought. You can be a minister, even the most powerful, but if you have not attracted any project to Kebbi, what are you asking them to judge you on? For instance, the Federal High Court had no permanent building. It was through my appeal to President Tinubu that construction commenced.
What is your message on 2027 elections and President Tinubu’s re-election bid?
Our people know what we have done, particularly in agriculture. Kebbi is the largest rice producer in the country. In my first year, we procured 10,000 solar-powered pumps, 25,000 CNG-powered pumps, tractors, 150 truckloads of fertilisers and 10,000 herbicides free to farmers, for both rainy and dry seasons.
I was the first governor to publicly endorse President Tinubu for second term. The President, Vice-President and Minister of Agriculture have visited Kebbi several times. When the former Attorney-General left APC, not a single state executive member followed him. Not even his local government councillor. He could not win his own polling unit in local government elections.
Are you calling on Kebbi people to support your re-election and that of Tinubu?
Yes, absolutely. This weekend, I will inaugurate my campaign council, while on the 17th November, the presidential campaign council will be in Kebbi to unveil the presidential campaign.
What measures are you taking on insecurity?
Kebbi has its share of insecurity, but we have procured about 3,000 motorcycles for vigilantes and security personnel, including soldiers, to enhance mobility.
I have had disagreements with the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. Whenever there are challenges elsewhere, he suggests Kebbi is completely insecure. When he was Attorney-General and there were challenges in Kebbi, Katsina and Zamfara, did he ever sympathise with communities or support security agencies? He never did. Unfortunately, he has not offered any meaningful assistance to the people affected by insecurity or demonstrated any commitment to supporting the security agencies. No state can claim to be 100 per cent secure. Even Abuja has challenges. Insecurity is global. He has not offered assistance to victims, but wants to contest governorship, so he portrays my administration negatively. Security remains our priority and we will continue to support security agencies.