The activists insisted on the prioritization of education, poverty reduction, and basic infrastructure development in Kebbi State.
By Kehinde Okeowo
Activists and social commentators are questioning Kebbi State Government’s development priorities after it approved a N10 billion loan to secure seats for the Hajj pilgrimage.
Governor Nasir Idris’ administration recently decided to secure additional Hajj seats for residents with the loan.
His decision, however, drew sharp reactions from experts, citizens, and civil society figures, who argued that such a decision should not be happening while thousands of children in Kebbi are struggling with basic literacy and numeracy.
The criticism is underscored by the state’s grim literacy and education statistics, which reveal a population struggling with basic learning and numeracy skills.
Observers argue that while schools, healthcare facilities, and essential infrastructure remain underfunded, the decision to approve a multi-billion-naira Hajj loan raises serious questions about governance priorities and the allocation of public resources.
However, the Kebbi State Government defended the loan, saying it was necessary to secure 1,300 additional Hajj seats for its citizens and meet the December 5 deadline set by the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
Alhaji Faruku Aliyu-Yaro, Chairman of the State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, told journalists in Birnin Kebbi that the loan was a “decisive, compassionate, and people-centred intervention” by Governor Idris.
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He explained that without the loan, the state risked losing hundreds of Hajj seats.
Meanwhile, while the state government framed the loan as a humanitarian and religious intervention, critics insist it highlights the urgent need to prioritize education, poverty reduction, and basic infrastructure development in Kebbi.
Wading into the saga, Kaduna State-based political commentator, Mahdi Shehu, described the move as a “misplaced priority” in a state grappling with severe poverty and infrastructural decay.
Writing on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Shehu stated: “They deploy religious sentiment to hoodwink senile people. The same people who can’t afford to eat are given loans to go for pilgrimage.
”In a state where poverty is at 75%, over 2 million children are out of school, hospitals and schools are dilapidated, roads are poor, clean drinking water is lacking, gratuities are unpaid, youth unemployment is high, children learn on the floor, essential drugs are unavailable, and primary health centres have collapsed, this is pure madness and illiteracy.”
Also joining the debate, social commentator Sodiq Alabi cited education statistics, arguing that 95% of children aged 7–14 in Kebbi cannot read at the Primary 2 or 3 level, while 94% cannot solve basic mathematics at the same level.
He went on to cite the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), adding that 89.4% of adult women are illiterate, with an additional 6.4% able to read only part of a sentence.
“But at least the governor is providing loans for Hajj,” Alabi noted, using the remark to highlight what he described as a misalignment of state priorities.
