Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani
Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has announced a landmark ₦100 million allocation to each of the state’s 255 political wards in the proposed 2026 budget a first of its kind direct grassroots funding model in the state’s history.
Speaking on Friday at a special town hall meeting for the public presentation of the draft budget, the Governor said the initiative was shaped by extensive citizen feedback from last year’s consultations, where communities reported deep developmental gaps, especially in rural areas.
He disclosed that it became evident in 2024 that 12 of the state’s 23 LGAs had not seen a single kilometre of road construction in 12 years, prompting the administration to abandon the “top-to-bottom” budgeting style for a ward-based approach driven by community priorities.
According to him, the ₦100 million per ward allocation will empower residents to identify, rank, and implement their most urgent projects including feeder roads, water schemes, health facilities, farm-to-market access, security infrastructure and economic empowerment programmes.
Governor Sani stressed that decisions on the projects to be funded “will no longer be taken by people on the high table,” insisting that the funds belong to the communities and will be deployed strictly according to their choices through structured citizen engagement.
He noted that the state government had already demonstrated responsiveness to public input by raising the water sector allocation from ₦10 million to ₦100 million after citizens demanded increased investment.
The Governor explained that the shift toward rural development followed revelations of decades-long infrastructure neglect during last year’s consultations, which led to the rollout of a massive statewide road development programme currently active in all LGAs.
He listed several ongoing road projects—many at 90 to 95 per cent completion— including 24km inter-community links; a 35km road in Sanga; 22.5km in Soba; 24.7km in Zangon Kataf; and 14.2km in Igabi, among others that will complement ward-level investments.
Sani said community feedback also shaped the state’s health sector investments, making Kaduna the only state in the country to upgrade 255 primary healthcare centres from level 1 to level 2 a feat that earned it recognition as the Northwest’s best-performing PHC system.
He added that 16 general hospitals are being renovated and equipped based on ward needs assessments, with nine already completed and commissioned.
On agriculture, the Governor said wards with high farming populations would receive targeted interventions funded from their ₦100 million allocation, complementing state efforts such as the distribution of nearly 900 trucks of fertiliser to smallholder farmers.
He also referenced Kaduna’s recent $250 million agro-industrial investment deal, supported by the Federal Government, which aims to boost value addition, market access and rural incomes across wards.
Sani further highlighted that Kaduna’s expanding skills development infrastructure now enrolling 90,000 youths under the Federal Government’s TX training programme—will benefit from the ward envelope, enabling communities to sponsor vocational and digital skills training.
He added that major transportation projects, including the planned BRT system and the proposed 44km light rail, would enhance ward-level productivity by improving mobility, expanding access to markets and strengthening security coordination.
The Governor said the philosophy behind the ₦100 million allocation is rooted in fairness, justice and equity, stressing that no ward would be excluded “regardless of who they voted for, where they come from or what religion they practice.”
He concluded that the new budget framework is built on trust and inclusivity.
“No ward, no community, no LGA will be left behind. Kaduna must work for everyone. The 2026 budget is your budget, and the ₦100 million is for you to decide, not for government to dictate,” he said.
Stakeholders at the town hall session—including civil society groups, religious and traditional leaders, and youth representatives—commended Governor Sani for institutionalizing citizen engagement in budgeting and for the administration’s strides in improving security across the state.
