“The only reason to be in politics is public service” – Malcom Turnbull
How has Governor Uba Sani’s 2024 budget of “Rural Transformation for Inclusive Development” performed? It’s imperative that Governor Sani’s budget is subjected to a rigorous performance analysis viz-a-viz the lofty objectives – as articulated in his SUSAIN AGENDA- of using the budget to “bridge the gap between the rural and urban areas, revitalise the rural economies and promote social inclusion” before taking a hard look at the proposed N790 billion 2025 budget of “Sustained Rural Transformation and Inclusive Development” which Governor Sani has described as a true reflection of his “steadfast commitment to drive an inclusive development, create jobs, improve infrastructure, and invest in the people of Kaduna State and the resolve to build a state that is safe, prosperous, and equitable for all”.
Governor Sani equally maintained that the 2024 budget was formulated to address infrastructure deficits and lopsidedness in favour of the urban areas and to the disadvantage of the rural areas, accelerate human capital development, boost agriculture and food security towards making Kaduna State more secure for the citizens, investors and their investments.
Why is a budget performance analysis of Governor Sani’s 2024 budget critical? The main justification for subjecting the performance of the budget to an analysis is because it would assist the administration to track progress and eliminate errors or mistakes, and in making informed decisions in the preparation of the subsequent budget. It would also help the government evaluate whether it got value for money or not in delivering the outcomes (social contract) promised its citizens in the year under review. Performance review equally offers the government a basis for comparisons, between the anticipated desired results and the actual performance.
Having laid the foundation and concluded that analyzing past performance serves as a take off point for the succeeding budget because it offers Governor Sani a veritable opportunity to evaluate and to further improve in the subsequent budget let’s attempt an honest assessment of Governor Uba Sani’s 2024 budget which had a budget size of N458,271,299,477.66, a capital expenditure of N318,836,576,588.28 and recurrent expenditure of N139,434,722,889.38, a 69.57% capital to 30.43% recurrent expenditure ratio.
Governor Uba Sani despite the rising debt overhang has without no doubt performed creditably by innovatively delivering on his inclusive development by providing critical infrastructure, especially to the rural communities that had suffered neglect and in enhanced security. Governor Sani, like his favorite Liverpool football club that’s sitting on top of the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League has the bragging right to declare that his administration has kept its promises.
Like every other governor in the North-West, the security challenge confronting the region would always be a yardstick on which they would be assessed. So how has Governor Uba Sani fared in protecting his citizens even though he is constitutionally handicapped and being addressed in borrowed robes as the Chief Security Officer?
On 29th November,2024 Governor Sani not only visited Birnin Gwari the hotbed of the terrorists activities but reopened the renowned Kara livestock market for commercial activities after more than ten(10) years closure a signal that peace had finally returned to the troubled area. The resumption of commercial activities in the area that passing through was tantamount to suicide was obviously possible because of the success of the ongoing dialogue with non-state actors brokered by the Peace Dialogue Group, established by the Kaduna State Government in collaboration with federal agencies and the security services aimed at achieving a peaceful resolution to the prolonged crisis in the area.
Governor Sani was no doubt emboldened to make the daring move because the major bandit leaders and their foot soldiers had agreed to lay down their arms and embrace peace.As part of the process they are currently undergoing a rehabilitation programme to ensure that they don’t go back to their old ways.
The Southern Kaduna area which was equally a flashpoint has also been quiet. The investment, the recruitment and training of 7,000 Personnel of the Kaduna Vigilance Service (KADVS) to enhance security, the acquisition of 150 Hillux Security Vehicles and 500 Patrol Motorcycles for the security agencies and the construction of a Forensic Laboratory and Training Center have no doubt helped in achieving the success the people long for.
The Kaduna Peace Model anchored on the non – kinetic approach has so far proved to be a model that can be replicated by other troubled Northern States.
So on security Governor Sani who since his days at the Senate has been at the forefront in the agitation for the establishment of Community Police deserves a decent A.
On health, Kaduna State was recently honored as the best-performing state in the northwest region at the 2024 Primary Health Care (PHC) Leadership Challenge, an initiative of the Seattle Declaration of 2019, which aims to strengthen Nigerian governors’ commitment to primary healthcare. The state received not just a well deserved international recognition, but in addition a $500,000 award for its exceptional healthcare investments and leadership. This award definitely speaks volumes about the directions the sector is heading under the Uba Sani administration.
The award no doubt highlights Governor Sani’s significant investments, strong commitment and strategic adaptation of the Sector Wide Approach (SWAP) towards transforming the state’s healthcare sector, anchored on an effective primary healthcare system. The grand objective is the actualization of the Universal Health Coverage(UHC). Kaduna State has remained a strong partner of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, UNICEF, Aliko Dangote Foundation, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency.
Governor Sani whose vision is to build healthy communities, where the poor and vulnerable have access to quality healthcare and health tourism has shown a determination to complete the ultra – modern Specialist Hospital at Millennium City, Kaduna and the remodeling, equipping and upgrading of 13 (thirteen) General Hospitals in the 3 Senatorial Zones of the State. In 2024 the administration had upgraded and furnished 290 Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs) with state-of-the-art equipment. And the results of these efforts are showing in the modest drop in the maternal and child mortality figures.
For Governor Sani’s efforts in the healthcare sector he deserves a A+.
The area where Governor Sani deserves an outright A ++ is definitely in the economic sector. For instance Kaduna State is one of the four(4) states that in 2024 attracted foreign investments and that is waging a sustained war against poverty with several social programmes. From May 2023 to date, the state has attracted over $503 million actualized investments; these include the Sunagrow International Oil Ltd for the construction of $50 Million Soya Bean Oil Refining Plant, StarAgric West Africa Ltd for the establishment of the Kaduna Agri-Market System Initiative, Qatar Sanabil Kaduna Economic City Project, and Ming Xing Lithium Processing Plant. While arrangements are underway for the commencement of the Special Agricultural Processing Zone (SAPZ), a partnership between the Kaduna State Government and the African development Bank (AfDB).
Governor Sani, genuinely worried by the high level of multidimensional poverty had from his very first day in office as governor declared an unconditional war on poverty and invested in tailored social investments programmes and interventions designed to sustainably improve the poor and vulnerable households’ income. The Governor deserves huge commendation for employing social protection programmes and investments as the strategy for waging the unrelenting war against poverty in all its ramifications. The war stems from Governor Sani’s appreciation of the negative consequences of ignoring the impact of extreme poverty on the people and stability of the State.
The Kaduna State Government, through the Kaduna State Enterprise Development Agency (KADEDA), in the year under review supported 8,649 nano and micro businesses with grants to expand their businesses while the A Kori Talauchi programme empowered 4,912 underserved women across the state.
Other initiatives by the Governor Sani’s administration includes Financial Inclusion to address the exclusion of the poor, under-served and vulnerable from financial services which has denied them access to social intervention programmes of the state and the Federal Government. Findings have shown that there are indeed economic opportunities, but that a sizable portion of Nigeria’s population is excluded from the financial system and unless other state governments take decisive actions like Governor Sani they will be unable to access formal financial services like credit, or benefit from the improvement in the payment processes.
In the 21st century not having a bank account can be likened to a financial death sentence of some sorts as the individual cannot participate in the formal financial system, nor benefit from improved access to credit. The end result would be the continued endemic poverty of the poor.
Despite the the economic challenges Governor Sani’s administration has given a credible account of itself in the implementation of the 2024 budget in virtually all the sectors including the upgrade in rural infrastructure where 68 road projects, covering a total of 700 kilometers have been completed and has upgraded urban road infrastructure. Same with education. A total of 62 new secondary schools,39 Junior and 23 Senior Secondary Schools, have been constructed across the 3 Senatorial zones to cater to the growing educational needs of the state. It’s also building three Vocational and Technological Skills Acquisition Cities to equip its youths with the requisite skills to enable them take up jobs in industries and other businesses investing in the state.
There is no doubt that the 2025 “Sustaining Rural Transformation and Inclusive Development” budget of N790 billion of which N553 billion (70%) is for Capital Expenditure, and N237 billion (30%) is for Recurrent Expenditure would consolidate on the impressive achievements of the 2024 budget. As expected Education has the lion share of the budget, with N206.6 billion (26.14%), with Health following closely with N127 billion (16.07%), Infrastructure N106 billion (13.41%), Agriculture N74 billion (9.36%), Security N11.2 billion (1.42%), and Social Welfare N9.8 billion (1.24%).
The capital allocation reflects Governor Sani’s continued focus on infrastructure, with particular emphasis on rural roads, healthcare facilities, education infrastructure, and housing projects. Key projects that will make an impact on the economic wellbeing of Kaduna State citizens.
The signing of the budget into law by Governor Sani means that the new financial year for the Kaduna State Government will begin on the first day of January, which has placed the state in a unique position in achieving full alignment of the calendar and fiscal years a feat many state governments are struggling to achieve.
