Why Uba Sani won The Sun Governor of the Year Award – Commissioner

The Kaduna State Government has attributed Governor Uba Sani’s emergence as the 2026 recipient of The Sun Governor of the Year Award to his administration’s efforts in peace building, infrastructure development, healthcare, education and inclusive governance.

The Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, disclosed this after receiving the award on behalf of Mr Sani at the Expo Convention Centre, Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, over the weekend.

Mr Maiyaki said the governor was recognised for what he described as people-centred leadership, efforts to restore public confidence in government institutions and commitment to improving the welfare of residents.

He said since assuming office in May 2023, Mr Sani had pursued policies aimed at addressing longstanding development challenges, strengthening public accountability and extending government interventions to underserved communities.

One of the administration’s major initiatives, according to the commissioner, is the Kaduna Peace Model, which combines security interventions with dialogue, community engagement and development programmes.

Mr Maiyaki said the initiative had helped restore stability in previously troubled communities, allowing residents to return to farming and economic activities.

He said more than 500,000 hectares of farmland had been recovered, while schools, healthcare facilities and markets previously affected by insecurity had reopened.

The peacebuilding initiative is particularly significant for Kaduna, which has experienced years of banditry, kidnapping and communal violence, especially in parts of its southern and central districts.

The restoration of security in rural communities is also important to agricultural production, as insecurity has repeatedly disrupted farming activities, displaced residents and threatened food supplies.

On infrastructure, Mr Maiyaki said the administration had embarked on approximately 150 road projects covering about 1,400 kilometres across the state.

He said the projects included interventions in 12 local government areas that had reportedly gone nearly 15 years without benefiting from road construction.

The government has presented the road programme as part of its strategy to improve rural connectivity, facilitate the movement of agricultural produce and expand access to markets, schools and healthcare services.

Mr Sani’s administration has also prioritised urban renewal and the expansion of infrastructure to support economic activities across Kaduna State.

In the health sector, the commissioner listed the completion of the 300-bed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital, the revitalisation of 17 general hospitals and the upgrading of 255 primary healthcare centres to Level 2 among the administration’s achievements.

These interventions, according to him, are intended to improve access to medical services and reduce the pressure on major referral hospitals.

Education is another major component of the administration’s development agenda.

Mr Maiyaki said the government had sustained the allocation of 25 per cent of its annual budget to the sector, reflecting its commitment to improving educational access and infrastructure.

The investment comes against the backdrop of longstanding challenges in Kaduna’s education sector, including out-of-school children, inadequate learning facilities and teacher shortages.

The commissioner also said the state government had distributed 1,400 truckloads of fertiliser to 450,000 smallholder farmers to support agricultural production and improve food security.

He said the intervention was part of efforts to strengthen rural livelihoods and support farmers facing rising production costs.

In public transportation, Mr Maiyaki said the deployment of 100 compressed natural gas (CNG) buses had facilitated more than five million passenger trips within 15 months.

He added that the initiative had generated estimated savings of N5.2 billion for commuters.

The CNG transport programme is also part of the state’s efforts to provide more affordable transportation while reducing dependence on conventional petrol-powered vehicles.

Beyond the projects highlighted by the commissioner, the Uba Sani administration has pursued social welfare and economic inclusion programmes, including interventions targeting vulnerable residents, pensioners, women and small businesses.

The government has also promoted investment in agriculture, industrial development and renewable energy as part of its broader economic development strategy.

Its social intervention programmes have included support for widows, housing initiatives and efforts to improve access to economic opportunities for disadvantaged communities.

However, the scale and long-term impact of these programmes will ultimately depend on their sustainability, equitable distribution and measurable improvements in the living conditions of residents.

Mr Maiyaki described The Sun award as an encouragement for the administration to intensify its development efforts and strengthen accountability.

He said Mr Sani dedicated the recognition to the people of Kaduna State, whose support and cooperation, he added, had continued to inspire his government.

The commissioner quoted the governor as pledging to consolidate achievements in peace and security, infrastructure, education, healthcare and other critical sectors.

Mr Sani, a former senator representing Kaduna Central, assumed office as governor on 29 May 2023, succeeding Nasir El-Rufai.

His administration has made inclusive governance, rural development and peacebuilding central themes of its policies, particularly in communities that have experienced prolonged insecurity and infrastructural neglect.

The Sun Governor of the Year Award adds to the recognitions received by the governor since taking office, although the ultimate measure of his administration’s performance will remain the extent to which its policies translate into improved security, public services and living standards for Kaduna residents.