Before my recent trip, I last visited Adamawa State in 2018, at the invitation of the late Alhaji Ahmed Joda, an elder statesman, retired permanent secretary, and accomplished farmer who dedicated much of his later years to farming and community service.
During that 2018 visit, the late Joda hosted two of my colleagues and me at his residence in Yola, treated us to a sumptuous meal, and later took us on a tour of his big farm near Fufore, about 18 kilometres from the city. It was a memorable and refreshing experience.
Facelift
However, the Yola I encountered during that visit is not the same city I experienced last week on my brief but remarkable return. In just a few years, the transformation has been striking. From the airport to the city centre, I observed massive infrastructure upgrades, including six overhead and underpass bridges that have enhanced the capital’s aesthetics and accessibility.
These sweeping changes are the result of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s foresight. Convinced that Adamawa’s proximity to neighbouring countries and its immense agricultural potential require critical infrastructure and excellent roads, he has invested heavily in projects that position the state as an emerging hub for business and investment.
When asked why his administration emphasised infrastructure, Governor Fintiri dismissed suggestions that other vital sectors were being neglected. He explained that infrastructure development, a key part of his administration’s 8-point agenda, is a deliberate strategy to open up the state and make it an attractive investment destination.
“This state has been christened a civil service state. Why should we be a civil service state when we share boundaries with international communities, have a population of over five million people, have vast land for agriculture and a thriving cattle business?” he asked rhetorically.
Without prevarication, modern infrastructure is crucial for a state that receives traders from within and beyond Nigeria, including Cameroon, Niger and Chad, among others. Therefore, Governor Fintiri prioritised world-class infrastructure in Yola and other parts of the state, linking rural communities to local government headquarters through extensive road networks.
“That’s why, in the first instance, we built over 360 kilometres of roads connecting our rural areas. This way, farmers can easily evacuate their produce, and the city becomes more attractive. This is the path to attracting both people and investments to our state. Already, many investors are coming in. That’s the thinking behind our aggressive focus on infrastructure,” Fintiri said.
Some Nigerians often criticise governors for being too fixated on constructing overhead bridges and underpasses, particularly in cities with low vehicular traffic, arguing that resources should be channelled into human capital development instead.
Even Fintiri’s staunchest critics admit that his reasons are compelling. His road projects have opened up rural communities and eased the movement of farm produce to urban and semi-urban markets, thus stimulating economic activity.
Beyond Infrastructure
Still, Governor Fintiri has gone beyond infrastructure. His administration is deeply invested in human capital development. From providing soft loans and incentives to small and micro businesses to sending hundreds of students abroad to study medicine, engineering, and other courses aligned with the state’s needs, his policies extend well beyond physical projects.
It is on record that Adamawa is preparing to send another batch of 320 students to Australia, Canada, and other countries for postgraduate studies in ICT and other areas critical to the state and the nation.
Fully aware of Adamawa’s vast agricultural potential and its importance to food security, Fintiri has devoted significant attention to agriculture in the past six years. “Apart from the ministry anchoring agriculture, we have a food security committee advising the government on ensuring that we produce enough for us to consume and sell to other parts of the world,” he said.
As a result, Adamawa is cultivating 300 hectares of farmland across seven pilot local government areas, with one hectare allocated to youths in each LGA.
Given the state’s comparative advantage in cattle production, the government has also prioritised livestock development. Grazing reserves are being protected and expanded to ensure herders can graze their cattle freely, reducing the likelihood of farmer-herder clashes.
“Most of our grazing reserves are still intact. We have established new ones where herders move conveniently. This has drastically reduced tension between farmers and herders. We have also been developing these reserves by planting highly nutritious grasses for grazing,” Fintiri noted.
With about 32 cattle markets, most equipped with modern facilities, the administration aims to make Adamawa the nation’s cattle hub, supplying meat to Lagos and other major cities. The governor is also courting international investors. He noted that the state was already in talks with investors from Egypt and Malaysia to build two abattoirs in the state, with a combined capacity to slaughter 3,000 cows daily.
Education is another priority. The Fintiri administration has reduced the number of out-of-school children from about 500,000 to fewer than 100,000. “There is no reason why, in a state with a proud history of Western education in the north, half a million children should be out of school,” he said.
Governor Fintiri told me that upon assuming office, he discovered that previous governments had failed to access Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) funds for five years. However, by paying the necessary counterpart funding, his administration accessed UBEC funds and built or rehabilitated 5,000 classrooms. These moves, coupled with the state’s policy of subsidising education, essentially making it free, brought thousands of children back into the classroom.
The administration also identified legacy schools across the state and allocated substantial funds for rehabilitation and furnishing. In addition, 2,000 teachers were recruited to address staffing gaps.
But Fintiri’s vision did not end there. He launched the construction of Model Schools, one in each local government area, designed to provide a continuous learning pathway for children from crèche to junior secondary school. Alongside these, three mega schools are being built, one in each senatorial district. One of them, the Science and Technical College, will be dedicated exclusively to girls, providing them with opportunities in science and technology.
“To encourage our girls, we introduced a scholarship programme. Any female student with nine credits qualifies for our support. We cover tuition, feeding, accommodation, and upkeep. The programme has been running for four years, and we even help secure admissions for qualified girls,” he added.
Governor Fintiri’s words underline his administration’s resolve: “We came prepared to govern and to improve our state and our people. And we have followed our programmes religiously.” But what do you expect from a man whose rise to the most important office in the state is filled with lessons for all?
When he was elected an Adamawa State House of Assembly member representing his Gulak local government constituency, Governor Fintiri never knew he would be made speaker. His colleagues zeroed in on him, but some forces, including then-Governor Murtala Nyako, preferred another member to lead the House.
The government frustrated Fintiri and his colleagues’ efforts to ensure he led the House. The chamber was locked for over a month, making it impossible for the House of Assembly to sit and conduct legislative activities. But against all odds, Fintiri emerged as the speaker and would eventually be sworn in as acting Governor following the sack of Murtala Nyako in July 2014. By the way, he acted twice—the first time for 12 days and the second time for 86 days.
He would be elected governor in 2019 and, against all odds, again, win reelection in 2023. It is only proper that someone with leadership thrust upon his lap under these circumstances by divine providence does the right thing to live a lasting legacy. Fintiri is doing just that.
Overall, Governor Fintiri, who is serving his second and final term, and leading the charge to reposition the opposition PDP by virtue of his position as chairman of the party’s national elective convention committee, may be a suitable fit for a national assignment based on the manner in which he is governing Adamawa, a state with serious identity politics like the Nigerian nation.
