The Kano State Government is considering a new policy that would require private businesses operating in the state to allocate 75% of skilled jobs and all unskilled jobs to local residents.
This initiative is intended to tackle the growing unemployment problem among the state’s large youth population and to address concerns about unfair hiring practices in the private sector.
Dr. Ibrahim Garba Muhammad, Chairman of the Special Committee on the Domestication of the Federal Character Principle in Kano, explained that the policy aims to ensure greater fairness and inclusivity for Kano indigenes in private-sector employment.
Presenting the document, titled “Draft Kano State Inclusive Employment Policy 2025,” to the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr. Ibrahim explained that the draft policy was initiated under the directive of His Excellency, the Executive Governor, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf, to provide greater opportunities for indigenes to earn a livelihood.
“The Committee on the Domestication of the Federal Character Principle has successfully completed and submitted the Draft Kano State Inclusive Employment Policy 2025 to the Secretary to the State Government,” he stated.
“The draft policy seeks to address the challenges of marginalization, enhance equity in recruitment processes, and strengthen the participation of our citizens—particularly youth and women—in the growing private sector of the state.
“The successful completion of this draft marks an important milestone in advancing His Excellency’s vision of reducing unemployment, fostering unity, and ensuring fair representation for the people of Kano State, in line with the Federal Character principle.
“The policy proposes a local content requirement of 75% for skilled and 100% for unskilled and semi-skilled labour. This effort was borne out of the persistent outcry from members of the public, civil society, and especially youth and women, over the ongoing disparity in employment within the state’s private sector.
“This prompted His Excellency to direct the immediate constitution of a committee mandated to study, adapt, and domesticate the Federal Character Principle as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended),” Dr. Ibrahim added.
Receiving the draft policy on behalf of Governor Yusuf, the Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Faruq Ibrahim Umar, expressed concern over youth unemployment in Kano, despite the state’s vast potential and the availability of qualified manpower to fill existing job opportunities.
Alhaji Umar lamented that several previous efforts to address what he described as lopsided employment opportunities for indigenes had suffered setbacks. He added that the present administration would deploy the necessary legal mechanisms and institutional frameworks to actualize the proposed policy.
The SSG assured that the government would carefully study the draft document and provide the required institutional support to enforce the domestication of the policy.