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INVESTIGATION: Ganduje embroiled in multi-billion naira Kano dry port ownership scandal

A PREMIUM TIMES investigation has uncovered how Mr Ganduje secretly stripped Kano State of its 20 per cent equity in the Dala Inland Dry Port Limited, transferring the shares to his children before awarding a multi-billion naira contract for infrastructure at the facility.

Former Kano State Governor Abdullahi Ganduje secretly transferred the state government’s 20 per cent stake in the Dala Inland Dry Port Nigeria Limited to private hands and also made his children co-owners of the company before awarding a contract worth more than N4 billion to provide infrastructure for the project, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

The transfer effectively edged Kano State out of the project’s ownership and positioned Mr Ganduje’s children as directors and shareholders. Shortly after, Mr Ganduje, then governor, awarded a contract for works that were originally the state’s responsibility under its equity agreement.

Mr Ganduje, who resigned this year as national chairman of Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), governed Kano between 2015 and 2023.

How Kano acquired stake in dry port
On 4 September 2006, nearly a decade before Mr Ganduje assumed office, the Kano State Government purchased a 20 per cent stake in the Dala Inland Dry Port Limited under Governor Ibrahim Shekarau’s administration.

Mr Shekarau’s commissioner for commerce, industry, and cooperatives, Ahmad Yakasai, conveyed the government’s approval.

The acquisition followed the federal government’s 2003 port development policy, which encouraged private development of ports while allowing the federal and host state governments to retain minority stakes.

The policy capped private investors’ stake at 60 per cent and reserved 20 per cent each for the federal and state governments.

The policy required the government to lease out ports it had already developed to private investors for 15–25 years, depending on the equipment installed. Where private investors were the primary developers, the policy specified that federal and state equity participation was to be limited.

Dala Inland Dry Port
Strategically located in Kano, the commercial hub of northern Nigeria, the Dala Inland Dry Port was conceived to ease import and export processes, reduce transit times, and facilitate trade with neighbouring landlocked countries like Niger, Chad, and Cameroon.

In August 2020, the federal government granted the facility the status of a port of origin and final destination for goods entering or leaving Nigeria. It also designated it a logistics-free trade zone. The port spans 35 hectares, with another 165 hectares earmarked for free zone enterprises.

The port was founded in 2003 and privately developed by Kano businessman Ahmad Rabiu.

In line with federal policy review, Kano State acquired 20 per cent equity in 2006. At inception, Mr Rabiu retained 80 per cent ownership, while the state held 20 per cent.

On 16 May 2006, Mr Rabiu signed a build, own, operate, and transfer (BOOT) agreement with the federal government.

At a tripartite meeting on 22 June 2006, involving the state government, Maersk Sealand (an international shipping giant), and Dala Inland Dry Port Limited, the parties agreed on participation levels of each stakeholder.

According to a classified document seen by PREMIUM TIMES, Kano State committed to paying for its 20 per cent equity by providing infrastructure —roads, fencing, electricity, and water—at the Zawachiki project site in Kumbotso Local Government Area of the state.

However, Mr Shekarau, who served two consecutive terms as the governor of Kano between 2003 and 2011, did not execute any infrastructural project at the dry port.

His successor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, whose second non-consecutive term ended in 2015, also ignored the state government’s commitments to the port.

On the other hand, Maersk Sealand, initially a technical partner with the intention of taking equity shares, withdrew due to the state’s lack of commitment to the project.

Maersk Sealand primarily invests in floating assets. However, the company also participates in joint ventures for projects such as the Dala Inland Dry Port. It expressed interest in participating as a technical partner and to take on some equity as part of the joint venture, but it never did so, insider sources told PREMIUM TIMES.

Shippers’ council threatens termination of concession.

By 2019, with little progress at the site, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) threatened to terminate the project’s concession.

In a letter dated 30 May 2019, the NSC, through its director of legal services, S.A. Vongtau, notified the company’s founder, Ahmad Rabiu, of its intention to terminate the BOOT agreement over delays in developing the port.

The NSC lamented that apart from a site office built in January 2011, “no other physical development had taken place” in breach of the build, own, operate and transfer (BOOT) agreement signed in 2006.

“Nigerian Shippers Council, which is the monitoring and supervising Agency on behalf of the Grantor, has observed that, except for the site office, which was constructed in January 2011, no other physical development has taken place since the site was handed over to you in September 2009.

“This is contrary to the provisions regulating the construction period and Milestone Limited for completion of the Inland Container Depot project. Subsequently, the Grantor wishes to express its dismay over the lack of development activities at the project site, which is in breach of the provisions of the agreement.

“Based on the above concerns, the Grantor, in line with the provision of the extant ICD BOOT Agreement, hereby gives you notice of intention to terminate the BOOT agreement for Zawachiki, Kano Inland Container Depot,” the shippers council said.

An insider told PREMIUM TIMES that the termination threat forced businessman Mr Rabiu to transfer 60 per cent of his equity to the Ganduje family, paving the way for the state government to finally provide the long-awaited infrastructure.

NSC’s letter of appeal to Ganduje
In a separate letter dated 18 June 2020 and addressed to the Kano State Government, the federal regulator, the NSC, appealed to Kano State to revive its commitments and provide the essential facilities at the project site.

“You may wish to be informed that in 2006, Dala Inland Dry Port Limited was granted a build, own, operate and transfer (BOT) concession to the 20,000 Equivalent Units (TEUs) capacity Inland Dry Port at Zawachiki, Kano for a period of 25 years. However, due to some challenges, not much progress has been made towards the development of the project.”

“It may interest you to note that the concessionaire for the dry port have divested a substantial part of their shares to their new solid partners, whose participation in the project, we believe, will reinvigorate the project towards timely completion and commencement of operations of the dry port facility,” Hassan Bello, former NSC chairperson wrote in the letter addressed to the then-Governor Ganduje.

Although the letter did not name the “new solid partners,” later company records revealed them to be Mr Ganduje’s children.

Ganduje steps in
With his family now owning majority shares in the dry port, Mr Ganduje, as governor, finally decided to use state funds to build the infrastructure the state should have built for owning 20 per cent shares in the project. However, by the time the contract was awarded, the state was no longer a co-owner of the port.

On 7 July 2020, about 19 days after the state government acknowledged the NSC’s letter, Mr Ganduje awarded a N2.3 billion contract to FRI Construction Company Limited for the provision of infrastructure at the dry port.

“Sequel to the deliberations of the State Executive Council’s meeting held on Wednesday, 1 July 2020, I am directed to convey its approval for the award of the above-mentioned contract (provision of infrastructure at Dala Inland Dry Port) to your company at the cost of N2,300,000,604.24 only and completion period of six months.

“If this offer is acceptable, you should pay the appropriate tender fee of N46,000,012.08 only at the Ministry of Finance – Works Registration Office after which you will report to the Director Civil Engineering Department for further details of the contract,” the director of planning in the state’s ministry of works, Usman Abdulkadir, said in the letter to the FRI Construction Company Limited.

The contract was later reviewed upward to more than N4 billion, according to sources familiar with the procurement arrangement.

FRI Construction subcontracted the roadworks to Triacta Nigeria Limited while handling fencing, electricity, water, warehouses, offices, and storage areas.

Ganduje transfers ownership to children and proxy

When the company was first incorporated on 8 December 2003, its only directors were the founder, Ahmad Rabiu, and his son, Rabiu Ahmad Rabiu.

Two years later, at an extraordinary general meeting on 19 January 2005, the board was expanded with the appointment of four new directors: Abdulaziz Haladu, Anwar Isyaku-Rabiu, Diepreye George, and Abdullahi Kwaru.

Records obtained by this newspaper show that on 5 March 2020, Mr Ganduje’s three children and his longtime associate, Abubakar Bawuro, replaced Mr Rabiu’s son and all other directors elected in 2005 as board members of the company.

Minutes of the company’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), held on 5 March 2020, at its Zaria Road office in Kano, confirmed the appointment of Abdulaziz Abdullahi Umar, Umar Abdullahi Umar, and Muhammad Abdullahi Umar—all children of Mr Ganduje —alongside Mr Bawuro as new directors of Dala Inland Dry Port Limited.

It was also at the meeting that the state government was removed as a co-owner of the dry port and the Ganduje children were appointed, not just as directors, but also as shareholders with five million shares each.

According to its “ordinary resolution,” the meeting was “attended by all the shareholders,” and “it was unanimously resolved” that Abdulaziz Abdullah Umar, Umar Abdullahi Umar, and Muhammad Abdullahi Umar —the three children of Mr Ganduje —be allotted five million shares each, each being 20 per cent of the total 25 million shares of the company.

Mr Rabiu and Mr Bawuro were also each allotted 20 per cent, creating a new ownership structure of five equal shareholders, each with 20 per cent of the company’s shares.

This structure effectively edged out the Kano State Government from the ownership of the company.

The resolutions reached at the meeting were then filed at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to represent the official ownership structure and management of the dry port.

Due process not followed in divestment
Although Mr Ganduje declined to comment on our findings, a Kano-based lawyer, Ibrahim Idris, explained that the divestment of a state government’s shares in any company must follow due process.

According to Mr Idris, such divestment requires approval from the State Executive Council and, in some cases, the State House of Assembly, before it can be considered legal.

“The relevant provisions are found in corporate law, financial regulations, and privatisation policies. The necessary steps include government policy to that effect, approval by the relevant authority—especially the State Executive Council—and in some cases legislative approval,” Mr Idris said.

The lawyer added that once approvals are secured, the shares must be offered to the public through open tendering in national newspapers, in line with Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules, including the filing of a prospectus.

New ownership structure
Two years after the company’s records were changed to favour the Ganduje family and Mr Ganduje’s former aide, Mr Bawuro, new filings were done at the CAC to remove the Ganduje children as shareholders, and transfer their shares to Mr Bawuro.

A CAC document sighted by PREMIUM TIMES listed only Mr Bawuro and Mr Rabiu as shareholders and Persons with Significant Control of the company. The records indicate that both men were formally designated as Persons with Significant Control on 19 October 2022.

Under this new arrangement, Mr Bawuro was recorded as holding 80 per cent of the company’s shares, while Mr Rabiu retained 20 per cent.

Two new directors were later added to the board: Adamu Aliyu-Sanda, an Abuja-based lawyer who has served as company secretary since 2020, and Hassan Bello, the immediate past executive secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council.

According to CAC filings, Mr Bello formally joined the board of directors on 25 September 2023, two years after retiring from the Shippers’ Council. Mr Aliyu-Sanda was also elevated to director in addition to being secretary of the company.

As of September 2025, CAC records list Messrs Rabiu, Bawuro, Bello, and Aliyu-Sanda as the directors of the company, while Messrs Bawuro and Rabiu are listed as shareholders, with the former owning 80 per cent and the latter 20 per cent.

Kano govt kicks
Since leaving office as governor, Mr Ganduje and his successor, Abba Yusuf, have been at war, with accusations and counteraccusations of corruption.

Mr Yusuf’s government has now rejected the ownership change of the Dala Inland Dry Port and has vowed to investigate the matter.

A senior administration official told PREMIUM TIMES that the government has not divested its 20 per cent equity in Dala Inland Dry Port Limited to any individual or company.

Bashir Uba, the director of investment at the Ministry of Commerce, said official records still show the state as holding its stake. He said a divestment process is a standardised procedure jointly handled by the ministries of commerce and justice, which clearly outlines the conditions for selling government-owned shares.

“The divestment process usually begins with newspaper advertisements inviting bids. At no time did the state indicate interest in divesting its shares in the Dala Inland Dry Port,” Mr Uba told PREMIUM TIMES.

“On the contrary, the state is actually seeking to increase its equity ownership to diversify income. At the ministry level, we are investigating how an individual and a government appointee, Mr Bawuro, came to control 80 per cent of the company,” he added.

Who is Abubakar Bawuro?
Investigations revealed that FRI Construction, the company awarded the multi-billion naira contract, operates from a building allegedly owned by Mr Bawuro in Yola.

Insiders also alleged the company is controlled by him, though CAC filings do not list him among the owners of the company.

Mr Bawuro is married to the sister of Shehu Fari, a director of the company who oversaw the construction site of the dry port.

Port inauguration
The port eventually commenced operations after the late President Muhammadu Buhari commissioned it on 30 January 2023.

A PREMIUM TIMES visit to the site showed the port bustling with activity, but the transfer of Kano’s equity under Mr Ganduje means the state does not benefit as a co-owner of the company.

Messrs Ganduje and Bawuro did not respond to phone calls or text messages from our reporter to comment on our findings. Also, Abba Anwar, who was Mr Ganduje’s spokesperson when he was governor, did not respond to multiple phone calls and text messages to comment on our findings.

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Wow. It is important to point out that out of the 12 chairmen who have led the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) since its inception, 10 have come from the South, while only two have come from the North. This stark imbalance should raise questions about equitable representation in one of Nigeria’s most critical democratic institutions.