Former Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), Professor Abdullahi Saleh Pakistan, says President Bola Tinubu deserves a second term because of projects executed by his administration and what he described as improvement in security.
Pakistan made the remarks in a recent interview with DCL Hausa, claiming that the Federal Government had executed projects worth more than ?9 trillion in Kano State.
He made claim to the provision of solar power systems to Northwest University, Kano, which he said cost ?6 billion, and another solar power system for Radio Kano, which he claimed cost ?2 billion.
He also said that the federal government provided the solar power systems despite Northwest University being owned by the Kano State Government.
He said he would continue to support Tinubu’s administration because he believed the president had demonstrated the capacity to govern and deserved another term to complete projects initiated by his government.
Pakistan also cited the Kaduna-Abuja highway, saying travellers had faced serious security challenges along the route in the past but that the situation had improved under Tinubu.
However, a review by Daily Trust Check of publicly available information, including the GovSpend platform, found no evidence to substantiate the claim that the Tinubu administration had executed projects worth ?9 trillion in Kano State.
The review also found no publicly available reports confirming the commissioning or inauguration of the specific solar power projects Pakistan cited at the stated costs.
What we found
The Federal Government, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), earmarked ?70 billion for a mini-grid solar power project in selected tertiary institutions across the country.
President Tinubu approved the project under TETFund’s 2025 intervention cycle.
Speaking at TETFund’s first town hall meeting, the Chairman of its Board of Trustees, Aminu Bello Masari, said the initiative would provide renewable and sustainable energy to 12 selected institutions.
The institutions include Northwest University, Kano; Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State; Ambrose Alli University, Edo State; Alvan Ikoku University of Education, Owerri, Imo State; and Lagos State University.
Masari said the project was part of the president’s efforts to address persistent electricity supply challenges affecting teaching, research and innovation in tertiary institutions.
He said: ‘Mr. President is committed to solving the problem of erratic power supply, which remains one of the most critical constraints to teaching, research, and innovation. Therefore, the President approved the implementation of the Mini-Grid Solar Power Project under the 2025 Intervention Cycle, with an allocation of ?70 billion.’
Although the TETFund initiative confirms plans for a solar power project at Northwest University, Kano, the information reviewed does not establish that the institution received a solar power system costing ?6 billion, as claimed by Pakistan.
Similarly, the review found no evidence to confirm his claim that the Federal Government provided a solar power system for Radio Kano at a cost of ?2 billion.
The ?70 billion allocation covers a solar power initiative involving 12 institutions nationwide. It does not, by itself, substantiate the specific costs Pakistan attributed to the projects in Kano.
The review also found no evidence establishing that the Federal Government had executed projects worth more than ?9 trillion in the state.
The absence of publicly available records does not conclusively prove that no such projects exist. However, the claim remains unsupported by the evidence reviewed.
Verdict: Unverified.
Daily Trust Check found no verifiable evidence to substantiate the claim that President Tinubu’s administration had executed projects worth ?9 trillion in Kano State. While a Federal Government-backed solar power initiative involving Northwest University, Kano, has been announced, the available information does not confirm the specific project costs cited by Pakistan or establish the broader ?9 trillion claim.