Waziri Garba: Uba Sani and the making of history

Some management and development experts often posit that the accountability expected of leaders does not just stop at minding and dispensing the public till. It also entails living up to their words with action to fulfil their covenant with the public, especially for politicians. Governor Uba Sani, since assuming office, has been matching his campaign promises with deeds.

As a candidate, Senator Uba Sani had sought the people’s mandate, promising a seven-point development programme tagged, the SUSTAIN Agenda. When implemented religiously, he had argued, the acronym would serve as a reliable road to prosperity for rural and urban communities in Kaduna State. In summary, SUSTAIN stands for Safety and security (foremost), Upgrade of Infrastructure, Strengthening Institutions, Trade and Investment, Investment in Human Capital and Nurturing Citizen’s Engagement.

On Saturday, 25th July, Governor Uba Sani flagged off the distribution of 500 trucks of free fertilisers and agricultural mechanization equipment, to 150,000 small-holder farmers across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state. The distribution of that largesse was not the first time that the Governor doled out free farm inputs to smallholder farmers. In 2024, 500 trucks of fertilizer were also distributed to farmers free and in 2025 400 trucks were similarly delivered to them at no cost. With the rise in Agriculture’s budget this year to over N100bn from a paltry N1.48bn in 2023, the distribution of free fertiler, complemented with the provision of some agricultural mechanization, Governor Uba Sani’s administration is a farmer-friendly government. Ultimately, his plans is to revolutionize agriculture and empower small-holder farmers, as well as to uplift the standard of living of the rural communities.

Besides Agriculture, Governor Uba Sani has earned a pride of place in Nigeria’s history in the last three years, especially in his financial inclusion drive, revenue generation, investment and job creation, security, infrastructural development, education, health and social welfare among others. However, the Kaduna Peace Model of using non-kinetic means to tackle the security challenges in the state, has remained a reference point amongst security experts.

Starting with his recruitment of 7,000 youth into the State Vigilante Service (KADVIS) early in the life of the administration, to boosting the capabilities of security agencies with 150 patrol vehicles and 500 motorcycles, his active liaison with federal security agencies and the local communities in policing, the administration has indeed succeeded in making Kaduna State appreciably safe. Birnin-Gwari and Giwa LGAs were no-go areas due to the unchecked activities of bandits and other non-state actors in the past. Their famous cattle markets which were closed for a long time, have now returned to full scale operation. . Likewise, the popular grains markets are now in full swing, as truck-loads of grains are being transported across neighbouring states and down to far-flung places in the south of Nigeria with ease.

In addition, over 500,000 hectares of land which insurgency had denied farmers access to, have now been reclaimed. Indeed, insurgency and banditry have not been banished; pockets of abductions and sundry crimes are still being reported mostly in the remote rural areas, but the Kaduna Peace Model which involves all stakeholders in the management of the peace has drastically minimized the incidents.

Likewise, the favourable investment climate, induced by a secure environment, has resulted in over $2bn garnered in various investment portfolios from both foreign and local sources. Jobs are expected to be created in the wake of the coming to fruition of some of the ventures. Projects such as Sunagrow Soya oil Refinery Plant, Lithium Processing Plant, Ming Xin Mineral Separation plant, the multi-billion naira Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit (KBRT) project, being undertaken jointly with France as well as, a host of mining companies that are ready to go full swing, are some of the investments that are in the offing.

Specifically, Governor Uba Sani has been executing projects, improving existing infrastructure and paying off debts in the last three years without borrowing a dime. According to him, ‘’in the last 3 years, we have been able to pay over N90bn of the debt we inherited and since we came into government, we have not taken any loans. We have also generated $2.5bn in investment for our state”. This speaks to his versatile financial management.

Indeed, he has constructed a total of 150 road projects covering more than 1,355 kilometres, across the 23 LGAs in the last three years. This is unprecedented in Kaduna State, within the time span. The good road networks have improved transportation, boosted the economy, enhanced access to schools, health care facilities and markets. Besides, the roads have stimulated local trades between communities with attendant emerging new businesses, timely evacuation of agricultural produce which reduces post-havest losses, attract investors willing to be involved in business development, ease access to essential service with the resultant increase in public confidence in government.

Equally, education and the health sectors, as well as staff welfare have received commensurate government attention over the years. The administration which had earlier on reduced tuition fees in state owned higher institutions by about 40 percent, injected funds into them to ensure that their academic programs measure up to standard. In addition, the government is focused on skills acquisition and to this end, it has construct three Skills Acquisition Centres at Soba, Rigachukun and Samarun Kataf, representing the Northern, Central and Southern senatorial districts respectively. The administration also came to the rescue of its students abroad, by approving N407 million to offset outstanding school fees.

The lower level of education has also received an unprecedented boost in both infrastructural development, students enrolment and retention. At the last count, 62 new secondary schools have been constructed, 100 others built in partnership with the Kuwait Fund for Arab development while over 2,300 new classrooms have been built to complement the 707 others that have been renovated across the state. Plans are also said to be afoot for the construction of additional 55 Secondary Schools.

These efforts together with the improved welfare to teachers had resulted in improved learning outcomes with, for instance, results of WAEC, NECO and NABTEB posting remarkable improvement. From 54 percent maximum passes recorded before this administration to 65 percent in the most recent results. The positive outcome is at tributed to the promotion of evidence-based education planning through the use of reliable data for policy formulation and decision making.

In addition, the health sector has received a new lease of life. This administration recruited 89 medical doctors into the system, employed 1,800 other categories of health personnel and empowered its 290 Primary Health Care Centers (PHCs) with necessary equipment and drugs. Currently, it is rehabilitating and upgrading 255 of the Centers to level two facilities, thus reducing long journeys in search of health care facilities and access to medical care especially in the remote areas. At the same time, the government is refurbishing and remodeling 16 General Hospitals across the state some of which had not been renovated since their commissioning decades ago. The icing on the cake is the commissioning of the 300-bed Specialist Hospital, which had been abandoned for decades by successive administrations. The hospital is now functional. Government’s approval of the CONMESS and CONHESS salary structure in the health sector and other welfare packages have meant that there have been very few labour-induced interruptions in the health sector over the three years.

Indeed, the welfare of civil servants and pensioners has attracted a lot of accolades for the Governor Uba Sani administration. The recent payment of about N4 billion brings the total payments to the pensioners and families of deceased civil servants in the last three years to over N17billion. The Governor’s feat has been acknowledged by an avalanche of awards from professional bodies. The Nigerian Union of Journalists(NUJ) has given him an ward for Good Governance, Peace Building, citing the Governor’s commitment to peace and even development.

The free 100 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) powered buses have been like blessing for commuters in Kaduna metropolis. It has ferried 3.2 million people across its designated routes in the city with civil servants, students, security agents among others as the main beneficiaries. Cumulatively, the free transport services have saved commuters a total of N3.5bn in fares. As a whole, the transportation sector is being overhauled with the construction of three terminals which will revolutionize public transportation. The facility, touted as the largest in West Africa on completion, apart from accommodating all unions in one place, will feature such facilities as ticketing halls, passenger waiting lounges, hotel, restaurants, CNG filling stations among others. In the end, they are capable of generating over 20,000 jobs. Besides, such facilities align with the KBRT and the upcoming Kaduna light rail project.

All these developments would not have been possible without the strengthening of institutions and enhancing the human capital that drives development. With the deliberate and faithful implementation of the SUSTAIN agenda, the Kaduna Peace Model, inclusive governance and fairness and equity, Kaduna State is now a beacon of hope and progress.

Waziri Garba, a Public Affairs Analyst, was Managing Editor of the Kaduna-based New Nigerian

Waziri Garba: Uba Sani and the making of history