The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress has commended Governor Uba Sani for his dedication to transparency, citizen participation, and democratic governance. The recognition came during a high-level session titled 'Human Capital and Democratic Transformation: What Future For The Global South?' held in Tangiers, Morocco.
Kaduna State's Reforms Highlighted
Governor Sani, represented by the Commissioner of Planning and Budget Commission, Mukhtar Ahmed Mohammed, presented Kaduna State’s achievements in open government, human capital development, and evidence-based planning. He outlined the administration’s SUSTAIN Agenda, which prioritizes security, infrastructure, agriculture, institutional strengthening, human capital, and citizen engagement. These priorities have led to significant investments in education, healthcare, vocational training, and agriculture.
According to Commissioner Mohammed, the Uba Sani administration has constructed 736 classrooms and recruited 10,000 teachers. Additionally, the government has revitalized 255 Primary Healthcare Centres, established 23 centres of excellence, restored over 500,000 hectares of farmland, and allocated more than 11 per cent of the state’s 2026 budget to agriculture.
Open Government and Citizen Participation
Commissioner Mohammed disclosed that all 23 Local Government Areas in Kaduna have been integrated into the Open Government Partnership initiative. This integration has enhanced accountability through participatory budgeting, citizens’ audits, open contracting, and fiscal transparency. He emphasized that the Community Development Charter ensures community involvement in budgeting, with at least five per cent of capital expenditure reserved for projects nominated by citizens. Furthermore, ₦100 million has been allocated to each of the 255 political wards in the current budget for community-centred development initiatives.
The commissioner also noted that Kaduna is the first subnational government in Nigeria to institutionalize a Citizens’ Participatory Audit Framework and recently achieved a perfect score in BudgIT’s States Fiscal Transparency League. He argued that democratic transformation is achieved not just through periodic elections but by institutionalizing citizen participation in governance, budgeting, procurement, project monitoring, and public accountability. He stated that governments investing in people while empowering citizens to shape public policy are better positioned to build trust, strengthen institutions, and deliver sustainable development.
Call for Global Support for Subnational Governments
Commissioner Mohammed called for stronger global support for subnational governments, stressing that states and local governments are at the forefront of implementing development policies. He urged that they be recognized as strategic partners in achieving the post-2030 global development agenda.
A statement from the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, highlighted that Kaduna State’s participation at the UCLG World Congress underscores the growing international recognition of Governor Uba Sani’s reforms. It also emphasizes the governor’s efforts in promoting transparency, fiscal accountability, citizen participation, and inclusive development through the Open Government Partnership. 'Under the leadership of Governor Uba Sani, we have demonstrated that transparency, citizen participation, and strategic investment in human capital are not just governance ideals but practical tools for delivering sustainable development and restoring public trust,' Maiyaki added.
