Kano state governor spending over N1 billion on a college in Niger Republic

Could the university be Boko Haram's recruitment center in Niger Republic?

Today, I read this news report about the Kano state governor spending over N1 billion on a college in Niger and I couldn’t help but feeling uneasy.

The first words that came to mind were ‘misplaced priorities’, and then some questions like ‘is this reasonable?’ ‘why Niger, why not Nigeria?’

The Kano state governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso reportedly said the money was used in completing the building and improving the infrastructure of the college. I don’t know if I’m being too forward but I find it rather disturbing that the state government is spending so much money on an institution not even in Nigeria.

Here is an excerpt of the report. Do read and let me know your thoughts on this:

Over N1 billion has been spent by the Kano State government on Kano/Niger Republic Bilingual College in Niamey, Governor Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso has said. The money, Kwankwaso said was expended in building students’ hostel, multipurpose hall, kitchen, staff quarters, clinic and wall fencing of the college.

Speaking during a farewell ceremony for the first batch of 101 secondary school students to Niger Republic, he said the money was the counterpart fund of the state for the joint project. The state government, according to a statement by the governor’s media aide, Mallam Halilu Dantiye, provided a bus, a pick up van, two sets of uniforms for each of the pioneer 200 students and English teachers.

He added that the Nigerian authorities provided land for the project, in addition to running the school. The idea for the establishment of the college, according to Governor Kwankwaso, was to consolidate bilateral relations between the state and the Niger Republic, expose Kano children to French language as well as create unlimited opportunities for them in French and English speaking countries.

“With an annual increment of 200 students, 100 from Niger and 100 from Kano, it is our vision that in six years when the college will graduate these very students, they will have a population of 1,400 students”, the governor said.

According to him, the governments of Kano and Niger Republic will take full responsibility of the scholarship of the students.

In his remarks, President Muhammadou Yousoufou of Niger Republic, represented by the country’s Minister of Education, Madam Maryam Alhadji Ibrahim, said the partnership will bring about greater unity and reinforce the existing relationship between the two countries.