Uba Sani: Positioning Kaduna as Nigeria’s agro-industrial giant

BY IDRIS AHMED

Senator Uba Sani, the workaholic Governor of Kaduna State takes his mission of restoring Kaduna State’s status as the political, economic and industrial mainstay of northern Nigeria very seriously. In fact, the Governor is taking this task several notches higher: he is working assiduously to position Kaduna as Nigeria’s agro-industrial giant.

The rise, or better still, the return of Kaduna State under Governor Uba Sani has been meteoric. By May 2023, when he assumed office, the state was a leader’s nightmare – fraught with problems that stem largely from insecurity, divisiveness among its peculiar ethno-religious mix, dilapidated public infrastructure including roads, schools, hospitals to name but a few. Kaduna was also in the throes of huge local and foreign debts and the resultant effects showed in the litany of abandoned projects, unmet commitments to contractors and labour unions.

But Governor Uba Sani, a renowned activist, has since proven to be a methodical administrator. His dexterity at managing and surmounting the complexities he inherited in Kaduna, in such a short period, remains confounding. Like a scientist, Uba Sani literally took Kaduna State to the laboratory and meticulously titrated and dissected the state’s problems. First, he audaciously took on the big elephant in the room, which was insecurity across the state.

Conscious of the fact that not much progress would be made in the great task of retooling and rebooting Kaduna, if the state remained notorious for banditry, kidnapping, ethno-religious tension and other forms of criminality, very early in his administration, Governor Uba Sani declared an all-out war against insecurity. Interestingly, the Governor adopted a multifaceted approach that deftly combined kinetic and non-kinetic approaches in rescuing Kaduna. Working very closely with the Office of the National Security Adviser, the Chief of Defence Staff and the leadership of the nation’s Armed Forces, the Police and other security agencies, all the 23 local government areas of the State quickly came into full radar and the requisite platforms and personnel were deployed to mitigate the activities of bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements in the state.

But by far, the biggest weapon Governor Uba Sani deployed against insecurity in Kaduna State was inclusive, open and transparent governance. Being a true servant-leader, the energetic Governor found the need to directly and regularly relate with several strata of leaderships across the entire local government areas of the state. At regular stakeholders’ meetings he listened to the people and effectively communicated his vision and mission to them. He never failed to act decisively on feedbacks from these stakeholders’ meetings. For the first time, perhaps in a long while, citizens and residents of the state felt truly part of government. They were dealing with a Governor who was not barking orders at them or making unnecessary threats or generally grandstanding. They were dealing with a leader who saw himself as just one of them, a victim as well, hence the need to collectively talk things through. Governor Uba Sani, unlike previous Governors of the State, placed himself on the side of the people and viewed the state’s problems from the collective lens.

Having speedily earned the trust and buy-in of the populace, it was only a matter of time that uncommon unity of purpose was achieved in Kaduna with the citizens, irrespective of political, religious or ethnic persuasions, deciding to queue doggedly behind their conscientious and well-intentioned Governor, Senator Uba Sani.

With the burden of insecurity relatively lessened, Governor Uba Sani turned the entire state to a huge construction site of sorts. The Governor’s mission from the get go was very clear and unambiguous: to connect and interlink local communities to urban centres in the bid to seamlessly provide social and economic benefits to all persons. The guiding philosophy was, and remains, that no person or community in Kaduna State will stay underserved. Today, previously unreached, underserved, underserviced and neglected communities in Kaduna State have either been opened up or are being opened up and interlinked to urban centres and markets. Other than good roads, schools, health and medical facilities as well as public water projects are either being built or rehabilitated across the 23 local government areas of the state.

Governor Uba Sani has concurrently been revving up infrastructure up-grade in Kaduna’s urban centres. The Governor believes that previously neglected poor urban communities deserve attention. To this end, he has been completing and flagging off major urban infrastructure projects. “Our administration is committed to massive infrastructure upgrades in rural and urban areas, supporting our communities in achieving rapid economic growth, addressing infrastructure deficits, curbing rural-urban migration, and improving the quality of life of our people,” the Governor said.

In less than two years in office, Governor Uba Sani may have surpassed the target he set for himself. He is far from slowing down, however. With Kaduna State now secure and the people leaving in peace, safety and unity; and with first class infrastructure interlinking all parts of the state, it is not at all surprising that the restless Senator Uba Sani is now poised to harness the agricultural potential of Kaduna to fully establish the State as the Agro-industry giant of Nigeria.

Though previous administrations in the state made attempts to deepen the agricultural potential of Kaduna State, several factors – notably insecurity, lack of policy clarity and of course, paucity of funds, hindered these efforts. But the very tenacious Uba Sani is not the type to be deterred, once his sights are set on a noble mission.

On Tuesday, April 8, Governor Uba Sani hosted the world in Kaduna as a Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone (SAPZ) was flagged off in the state. At the grandiose event, a thoroughly impressed Vice-President Kashim Shettima, who performed the ground breaking, lauded Governor Uba Sani for creating the needed environment and conditions in the state for the actualization of the mega project.

Addressing stakeholders at the vast expanse of land designated for the facility in Daki-Takwas, along Kaduna-Abuja Expressway, Chikun local government area of Kaduna, Vice President Kashim Shettima posited that the Special Agro-industrial Processing Zone will transform the Nigerian economy. He commended the Kaduna State Government for its leadership in agriculture, describing the state as a key driver of Nigeria’s agro-industrial future due to its abundant arable land and historical role in agricultural production. “Kaduna is not a stranger to agricultural leadership. What we are starting here today will become a model for other states to follow,” he said.

Vice President lauded Governor Uba Sani for his inclusive governance, highlighting his prioritisation of development and the people’s welfare over political concerns. “We must commend Senator Uba Sani who place development and the interest of the people above politics. Chikun Local Government Area was one of the Local Government Areas we lost in the last election; but Governor Uba Sani is talking about governance; he is talking about inclusivity. Governor Uba Sani felt the need to have this project sited here in Chikun Local Government Area. Your Excellency we are most grateful for your generosity of spirit and inclusivity. The flag off of this project marks a new era for Kaduna State and Nigeria at large. With a tenacious and result-oriented Governor in the saddle in Kaduna State, I am confident that under his leadership, we will soon witness a fully operational and bustling zone with productive activities that will not only benefit Kaduna but also meet the development ambition of the administration of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu”, Vice President Kashim Shettima enthused at the flag-off event.

Indeed like, most dignitaries at the event, the Vice President was well aware that the previous administration in Kaduna State had, for rather primordial reasons – notably, doubts over the “political correctness,” of siting the SAPZ in southern part of Kaduna State, frustrated the commencement of the mega project.

At the historical occasion also, the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, commended the Kaduna State Government under Governor Uba Sani for leading the way by being the first to launch the Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone in Nigeria. In particular, Mr Adesina praised Governor Sani’s commitment to agricultural transformation.

The AfDB President cited Kaduna State’s remarkable budgetary increase for agriculture, from N1.4 billion to N74 billion, adding that the increase is an example of political will backed by substantial investment. “You didn’t just put your money where your mouth is—you put your money where your mind and your body are,” Dr. Adesina remarked. According to him, ”Kaduna’s leadership on this project reflects not just a vision for food security, but a roadmap for economic prosperity and inclusive development.”

Adesina lauded Kaduna’s commitment to the actualisation of the SAPZ, highlighting the significance of agricultural industrialisation in the state’s economic growth.

“Your passion for agriculture is impressive, and agricultural industrialisation remains the fastest way to develop the vast areas of Kaduna. It has taken us eleven years to get here, and I am delighted that we are finally here,” Adesina said while noting that the AfDB has committed over $934 million towards the SAPZ programme across Africa, with an additional $938 million mobilised from partners. The initiative is currently being implemented in 27 sites across 11 countries, including Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Senegal, and Madagascar.

Mr Adesina emphasized the AfDB’s commitment to supporting Kaduna State in expanding school feeding programmes and integrating them with the new processing zones. He pledged additional support for primary health care improvements, health insurance, and infrastructure, including water, sanitation, and digitalization. “We’re proud to partner with a government that listens, that leads with compassion, and that is open to all,” the AfDB President said while describing Governor Uba Sani as “a model leader—who is a listener, a unifier, and above all, a doer.”

No doubt, it was a day Governor Uba Sani had been looking forward to. His excitement was palpable. The Kaduna State Governor, in his brief remark, described the processing zone as a strategic investment designed to accelerate industrial development across Nigeria.

“The SAPZ is a huge investment designed to position Kaduna as a major player in Nigeria’s industrial development. The administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to Nigeria’s economic development, this huge project is an actualization of a key ambition of the Tinubu administration, ” the Kaduna State Governor said.

The Governor emphasised agriculture’s central role in Kaduna’s economy, saying it contributes 42 percent to the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs 60 percent of the state’s workforce. “In the 2023 budget we inherited, agriculture received just N1.4 billion. However, in 2024, we increased it to N23.4 billion, and in 2025, we have approved N74.2 billion,” he informed his guests. “By doing that, we became the first sub-national government to achieve the 10 percent target of the 2014 Malabo Declaration, which set the goal of allocating 10 percent of the budget to agriculture,” Gov. Uba Sani added.

The Governor described the launch of the Agro-Industrial Processing Zone as a very important project for Kaduna State especially given his administration’s commitment to deepening safety, security and sustainable development across the state.

Perhaps it was the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Senator Abubakar Kyari, who aptly summed up the momentous event in Kaduna better when he described the SAPZ initiative as a turning point in Nigeria’s agricultural history. “This programme will be a game changer. It is designed to attract private sector investment in agro-industrial processing, drive value addition, and enhance rural development, I congratulate the Governor and the good people of Kaduna State,” Kyari said. Truly, Kaduna State is back to winning ways under Senator Uba Sani.

Idris Ahmed, a freelance journalist resides in Kawo, Kaduna.