Northern leaders must share blame for region’s backwardness – Gov Uba Sani

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has said political office holders in Northern Nigeria since 1999 must accept responsibility for the region’s developmental challenges, including its high number of out-of-school children. Sani made the remarks while defending President Bola Tinubu’s record in office, arguing that Northern leaders should not blame the current administration alone for problems that have persisted for decades.

“I’m a northerner, and I’m telling you that anybody who held position, whether a governor, minister, senator, vice president, you should be ready to take blame,” he said. The governor cited figures on out-of-school children, stating that Nigeria had about 18 million children out of school as of 2023, with approximately 70 per cent living in Northern Nigeria.

He questioned whether Tinubu, who assumed office in May 2023, should be held solely responsible for a crisis that predates his administration. Sani also disclosed that Kaduna State had about 550,000 out-of-school children when he assumed office in 2023, claiming that his administration had returned 300,000 of them to classrooms. He urged political leaders to move away from regional sentiments in their campaigns, insisting that voters should assess candidates based on their records in public office rather than their geographical origins.

“The people of Northern Nigeria are very smart. You cannot come to them and tell them, ‘Vote for me because I’m a northerner.’ They will never vote for you. They can only vote for you based on your track record,” he said. The governor also highlighted federal road projects in the North-East and North-West as evidence of infrastructure development under Tinubu.

According to him, more than 348 kilometres of roads had been completed in the North-East, while about 3,100 kilometres were under construction. He added that approximately 1,800 kilometres of the ongoing projects were nearing 90 per cent completion. In the North-West, Sani said more than 342 kilometres of roads had been completed, while another 1,042 kilometres were nearing 90 per cent completion.

On education financing, the governor said more than 414,000 students from the North-West had benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), with about N84 billion allocated to the region. He described the student loan scheme as an intervention for young people from low-income households who might otherwise struggle to finance their education.

Sani further stressed the importance of technical and vocational education and training (TVET), saying skills development was essential to addressing unemployment and expanding opportunities for young people in Northern Nigeria. He maintained that education remained critical to the region’s development and urged political leaders to focus on policies and programmes that improve the lives of residents.