Governorship candidates of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the seven Northwest states have pledged to pay workers a minimum wage of N110,000 if elected in the 2027 governorship elections.
The candidates made the commitment on Wednesday in Abuja while signing the Northwest ADC Governorship Candidates’ Compact 2027–2031, a joint regional development framework focused on security, education, healthcare, agriculture and economic growth.
Politics Nigeria gathered that the pact covers Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states.
The candidates also promised to establish 21 specialist hospitals, one in each senatorial district across the Northwest, as part of measures to improve access to healthcare in the region.
Reading the communiqué after the signing ceremony at the Yar’Adua Centre, former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and Kebbi State ADC governorship candidate, Abubakar Malami, SAN, said the compact represented a regional covenant with the people.
Malami said the region had suffered severe consequences from insecurity, including loss of lives, mass displacement, abandoned farmlands and disruption of education.
According to him, more than 16,000 people had been killed by insecurity between June 2023 and August 2026, while over 1,583 kidnapping incidents recorded since January 2023 had resulted in more than 10,000 people being abducted.
He further claimed that over 533,000 hectares of farmland in Zamfara and Katsina states had been abandoned, while the Northwest accounted for about 45 per cent of Nigeria’s out-of-school children.
The candidates said insecurity, poverty, hunger and the education crisis were interconnected and required coordinated intervention across state boundaries.
They therefore pledged to declare emergencies on insecurity and education if elected, while deploying drones, surveillance technology and rapid-response networks across the region.
They also proposed the establishment of a Northwest Regional Security Coordination Centre to strengthen intelligence sharing, early warning and coordinated responses to threats.
On workers’ welfare, the candidates said they would implement a uniform minimum wage of N110,000 across the seven states, while retaining the constitutional autonomy of each state to determine its budget, civil service, procurement and other internal policies.
They also endorsed the commitment of ADC presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, to restore fuel subsidy, arguing that its removal had worsened the economic hardship confronting households in the region.
The candidates criticised the APC-led administrations in the Northwest, alleging that huge federal allocations to the states and local governments had not translated into commensurate improvements in infrastructure, healthcare, education, food security and living standards.
They claimed that the states and local governments in the region received more than N8.33 trillion in federal allocations between June 2023 and August 2026.
The ADC candidates accused the ruling administrations of failing to adequately account for the resources and alleged that public officials had continued to enjoy luxury while residents faced poverty and insecurity.
They promised a different approach to governance based on accountability, responsible reforms and measurable improvements in citizens’ welfare.
Beyond individual state programmes, the candidates pledged to coordinate policies in areas where challenges transcend state boundaries, including security, trade, infrastructure and agriculture.
Under the compact, they promised to establish protected agricultural corridors, formalise livestock production, rehabilitate irrigation systems, develop agro-processing industries and create a regional grain reserve to strengthen food security.
On education, the candidates pledged to declare an emergency, maximise access to Universal Basic Education Commission funding, integrate Almajiri and Tsangaya children into formal education, improve girls’ school attendance and strengthen teacher recruitment and training.
They also promised to expand access to the Basic Health Care Provision Fund, revitalise primary healthcare centres and deploy midwives, telemedicine and community health insurance programmes.
In infrastructure, the candidates listed roads, rail, independent power generation, solar energy for public facilities, water systems, digital infrastructure, border facilities and logistics networks as priorities.
The candidates said their proposed regional cooperation would not undermine the autonomy of the seven states but would enable them to jointly address problems that cut across their borders.
Those who signed the compact included Malami; Sokoto State candidate Manir Mohammad Dan’iya; Jigawa candidate Sabo Mohammed Nakudu; and Zamfara candidate Bilyaminu Yusuf Shinkafi.
Katsina candidate Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita was represented by his running mate, Aminu Yar’Adua Ahmed, while Kaduna candidate Isa Mohammed Ashiru was represented by his deputy, Kantiok Irmiya Ishaku. Kano candidate Ibrahim Ali Amin was also represented by his deputy, Sabo Mohammed Nakudu.
