by Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress has commended Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for his commitment to transparency, citizen participation and democratic governance.
The commendation came after the Governor, represented by the Commissioner of Planning and Budget Commission, Alhaji Mukhtar Ahmed Mohammed, addressed a high-level session, titled, ‘Human Capital and Democratic Transformation: What Future For The Global South?’
Mukhtar Ahmed told delegates that the administration’s SUSTAIN Agenda has prioritised security, infrastructure, agriculture, institutional strengthening, human capital development and citizen engagement.
He said the reforms have led to major investments in education, healthcare, vocational training and agriculture, including the construction of 736 classrooms, recruitment of 10,000 teachers, and revitalisation of 255 Primary Healthcare Centres.
The state also established 23 Centres of Excellence, restored over 500,000 hectares of farmland and allocated more than 11 per cent of its 2026 budget to agriculture.
The Commissioner disclosed that all 23 Local Government Areas in Kaduna have been on-boarded into the Open Government Partnership initiative. He said participatory budgeting, citizens’ audits, open contracting and fiscal transparency have strengthened accountability across the state.
According to him, the Community Development Charter guarantees community participation in budgeting, with at least five per cent of capital expenditure reserved for citizen-nominated projects. He added that ₦100 million has been allocated to each of the 255 political wards in the 2026 budget for community-centred development.
Kaduna, he noted, was the first sub-national government in Nigeria to institutionalise a Citizens’ Participatory Audit Framework and, recently, recorded a perfect score in BudgIT’s States Fiscal Transparency League.
Mukhtar Ahmed argued that democratic transformation is achieved not only through elections, but by institutionalising citizen participation in governance, budgeting, procurement, project monitoring and public accountability.
“Governments that invest in people, while empowering citizens to shape public policy, are better positioned to build trust, strengthen institutions and deliver sustainable development,” he said.
He also called for stronger global support for sub-national governments, stressing that states and local governments are at the forefront of implementing development policies, and should be recognised as strategic partners in the post-2030 global development agenda.
In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, the government said Kaduna’s participation at the UCLG Congress reflects growing international recognition of Governor Uba Sani’s reforms.
“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 said.