On September 12, 2023, the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development, as part of the USAID-funded Community Initiative to Promote Peace (CIPP) project, conducted a Policy Influencing and Advocacy Engagement with the Kano State House of Assembly. The goal was to reintroduce the “Kano State Drugs and Substance Abuse Management Bill” to the 10th Kano State House of Assembly (KSHA).
The delegation was warmly received by the Speaker of the House, represented by Deputy Speaker Rt. Hon. Muhammad Bello Butu Butu, along with six other esteemed members of the House, including the Chairman of the House Committee on Health, Rt. Hon. Zakariyya Alhassan Ishaaq, and the Youth and Sport Committee representative, as well as the Assembly Chief Whip.
This visit was strategically timed, considering that the “Kano State Drugs and Substance Abuse Management Bill” had faced challenges in the previous Assembly, failing to receive the assent of the former Governor of Kano State, H.E. Abdullahi Ganduje, despite its successive passage in the Assembly.
This time, the SCDDD/CIPP project has initiated early engagement with the new Assembly, and the reception and commitment shown by the Assembly members have been remarkable.
Key outcomes from the meeting include: Appointment of two senior legislators (a Director and Secretary) to oversee the bill and present it to the Assembly for immediate deliberation and passage. Commitment to fast-track the implementation of the bill’s provisions once it becomes law in Kano State.
A pledge to raise awareness and promote the bill’s benefits within the Kano State House of Assembly. Overall, this engagement signifies a positive step forward in advancing drug and substance abuse management legislation in Kano State.
