Kaduna now better than in 2023 – Sani

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has said the state has improved significantly since he assumed office in 2023, citing progress in security, education, infrastructure, and economic development.

He spoke at a high-level workshop for senior government officials organised by the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations as part of the Nigeria Public Relations Week, Croc City 2026, held in Kaduna on Saturday evening.

The workshop, themed “From Policy to Public Trust: Strategic Communication for Vision Alignment and Governance Delivery for Renewed Hope,” brought together commissioners, special advisers, councillors, permanent secretaries, and other senior government officials.

Sani said the state he inherited was rich in potential but burdened by insecurity, infrastructure gaps, and weak social indicators.

Kaduna is not where it was. Kaduna is by far a better place today, and even more exciting is the fact that Kaduna is on the move and set to do even greater things and attain higher heights,” he said.

He stated that incremental reforms were insufficient to achieve the level of transformation required, stressing the need for a performance-driven governance structure.

According to him, his administration adopted a framework anchored on Key Performance Indicators for ministries, departments, and agencies to ensure accountability.

We vowed that vision must translate into measurable impact or else it will remain an aspiration,” the governor added.

Sani said his administration is guided by seven strategic pillars: security, infrastructure development, institutional strengthening, trade and investment, agriculture, human capital development, and citizen engagement.

“These pillars are not isolated priorities but interconnected levers designed to function as a coherent system, each reinforcing the other toward transforming Kaduna into a secure, prosperous, and inclusive society,” he said.

On security, he described it as the foundation of development, noting that economic and social activities could not thrive without safety.

He disclosed that the state collaborated with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the military to establish new bases in Giwa, Birnin Gwari, and parts of Southern Kaduna.

“We strengthened mobility and response through the deployment of over 150 operational vehicles and 500 motorcycles to security agencies. In our urban centres, we constituted a Joint Task Force that has significantly reduced incidents of street crime and banditry,” he said.

Sani said over 20,000 hectares of farmland previously inaccessible had been recovered, while more than 1,000 displaced persons had been resettled, alongside support for over 117,000 internally displaced persons.

He added that Kaduna had established the first forensic laboratory in Northern Nigeria and launched the Kaduna Incident Report Centre, a 24-hour emergency response system.

“While the result is not perfect, security is improving, confidence is returning, and economic activity is gradually expanding in areas once considered inaccessible. This is what we now call the Kaduna Peace Model,” he said.

On education, Sani said 736 classrooms had been constructed and over 1,200 renovated, while 10,000 teachers were recruited and more than 33,000 personnel trained.

He said the number of out-of-school children had reduced from about 550,000 to 187,720 within two years.

On infrastructure, he said about 150 road projects covering over 1,300 kilometres were ongoing across the 23 local government areas.

“These projects are part of a deliberate strategy to connect rural production centres to urban markets, reduce travel time, and stimulate commerce,” he said.

Sani said agricultural investment increased from N1.48bn in 2023 to over N74bn in 2025, with over 900 trucks of fertiliser distributed and 100,000 farmers enrolled in crop insurance schemes.