An open letter to Gov Namadi: Reimaging Dutse as a model city

Your Excellency, Dutse is not Kano, and it should not try to be. It does not possess the congestion of a commercial megacity nor does it sit along the ocean like Lagos. Yet these are not weaknesses; they are in fact Dutse’s greatest strengths. In an era where investors, academics, medical tourists and professionals increasingly seek calm, order, security and functionality, Dutse offers a rare and compelling alternative.

The current peaceful social fabric, illuminated streets, orderly town planning, vast green spaces and abundant developable lands of Dutse provide the ideal canvas for a purpose-built city. The presence of Federal University Dutse, Rasheed Shekoni Federal University Teaching Hospital (RSFUTH), an international airport, a rich cultural heritage, historical architecture and unique rock formations strengthen the city’s profile. These, coupled with its strategic location to the North West, North East and North Central zones, Dutse is naturally positioned to serve as a regional centre for conferences, tourism, healthcare, education and innovation.

As it stands today, Dutse already has several functional zones that form the backbone of the city. These include the Three Arms Zone housing the state secretariat, one of the best judiciary complexes in the country, and the House of Assembly; the local government chairmen’s quarters; the five emirates quarters; the House of Assembly residential quarters; Dan Masara and Fatara residential areas; the emirs’ palaces; and the State Government House. These existing structures provide a solid administrative, institutional and residential foundation upon which the city can expand in a more deliberate and strategic manner.

Your Excellency, you can envision Dutse as a multi-functional city, drawing lessons from successful hub cities across the world. Like Dubai, it can become a centre for high-value tourism and recreation; like Geneva, a host city for conferences, diplomacy and international gatherings; like Boston or Seoul, a hub for science, education and innovation; and like Singapore, a city where commerce, logistics and urban planning are seamlessly integrated. With its growing healthcare institutions, Dutse can also emerge as a regional medical hub, reducing the need for citizens to seek advanced care far from home. Its calm, secure environment and existing institutions make it naturally suited for national and international engagements.

Sir, In line with your vision of a greater Jigawa, there is a need to move Dutse from a passive silent city to a strategic urban city through deliberate, long-term planning backed by institutional commitments.

First, the Jigawa State Government should set a vision to develop Dutse Metropolitan by resuscitating and strengthening the Dutse Capital Development Authority (DCDA) and formally positioning Dutse as a conference and events city, a regional medical and wellness hub, a centre for education and research and a serene tourism and recreation destination.

Second, the government should deliberately designate and gazette strategic development zones across the city. These should include a conference and events zone with international conference centres, mini-conference halls, exhibition spaces, hotels and landscaped parks; a sports and recreation zone featuring an international stadium, sports academies, indoor games centres, recreational parks and cinemas; an Islamic and cultural zone hosting an international mosque, Islamic library, research centre and halls for national and international sermons and conferences; a library and academic, academic gardens and round-table discussion spaces; a new mini-city and housing expansion comprising about 2,000 planned housing units for professionals, academics and investors; a business and commercial zone with malls, office complexes and service centres; and the repositioning of the Saminu Turaki Galaxy Tower into a world-class ICT and Artificial Intelligence Park, transforming the surrounding rock formations into a landmark innovation and research hub.

In the interim, and as a matter of urgency, the state government should also reassess and reposition the existing city while pursuing these long-term goals. The Garu Township express road is a commendable intervention, and the Medical Village in Fanisau, as well as the Dan Modi Estate, are important steps in the right direction.

However, Dutse’s streets should be beautified with trees and flowers, key institutions renovated and some areas replanned for efficiency. The State Library should be upgraded into a modern state-of-the-art knowledge centre; the sports complex revitalised and the MDI Centre comprehensively modernised to meet contemporary standards for conferences and professional gatherings.

It is unbecoming of a state government house to be surrounded by bushy and undeveloped lands, at least the 500-metre radius of the government house should be developed as the area should be the best residential zone of the state. Projects such as the Dutse Green Initiative, improved transportation systems and broader urban renewal efforts should be accelerated, including selective relocation and expansion of overstretched areas.

Sir, the returns of these strategic investments are clear, by developing Dutse into a hub for tourism, conferences, healthcare and education will attract visitors, professionals and institutions from across Nigeria and beyond. It will stimulate demand for hotels, transport, services and local businesses, significantly boosting Jigawa State’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). Increased IGR will, in turn, provide sustainable funding for rural development projects in education, healthcare, agriculture and infrastructure across the state.

Your Excellency, Dutse was not always what it is today, it was a quiet, dusty settlement with limited visibility and infrastructure. Its transformation over the past three decades—from mud houses and dirt paths to a planned capital with wide roads, modern government complexes, federal institutions and illuminated streets—is evidence that deliberate governance can change destiny. This progress, particularly under the administration of former Governor Sule Lamido, shows that Dutse is a city shaped by vision and intentional development. That same spirit must now be elevated to a higher strategic level.

Dutse is ready for bold decisions. With a deliberate strategic planning, visionary leadership, and sustained investment under your stewardship and beyond, Dutse can become a model hub city for northern Nigeria and the nation at large by attracting talent, investments, tourists, and institutions while preserving its unique serenity and cultural identity. The opportunity is clear, and the moment to act is now.

Shamsu Gujungu wrote from Gujungu

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