The Yoruba Community in Kaduna appreciates the governor for his inclusive style of governance, writes JEREMIAH BAKO

While differences among various human subsets is a given, it is colorful and heartwarming when these barriers are bridged rather than walled. This genuine integration was recently on display when the Yoruba community in Kaduna visited the state governor, Senator Uba Sani.

According to a report published on April 16, 2025, by The Authority newspaper, the Yoruba community in Kaduna commended the governor ‘for his inclusive, participatory style of governance that has fostered unity, accelerated development, and improved security across the state.’ The delegation, led by its president, Alhaji Abdulrazak Mustapha, thanked the governor for his people-centric leadership.

“We are here to commend Your Excellency for the peace you have nurtured, the security you have stabilized, and the development you have championed,” said Alhaji Mustapha. 

“The Yoruba people in Kaduna are proud of your leadership and fully support your agenda.”

Responding, Sani appreciated the group’s visit and reiterated his administration’s stance on ensuring peace and unity. “Our diversity is our strength,” Sani said. 

“We will continue to work with all ethnic groups to make Kaduna a model of peaceful coexistence and shared progress.”

Recall that during the Igbo Day celebration last October, Governor Sani attended and donated land for the establishment of a spare parts market as well as a bus to the Igbo community. The Igbos have been in Kaduna for many years. And from dealing in spare parts to venturing into building materials, the governor described how Igbos have contributed immensely to the success of kaduna.

“Kaduna State is home to Igbo,” said Sani, who felt at home in the gathering, sporting the traditional ‘Isi Agu” top and tall red cap worn by Igbos and boisterously exchanging the traditional Igbo handshakes.

““Despite challenges, your faith in the huge potential and possibilities of Kaduna State remains unshaken. The Igbo are industrious, hardworking, resilient, resourceful and accommodating. We are willing and ready to partner with Igbo industrialists and entrepreneurs. We offer very interesting incentives. We are one of the leading states with ease of doing business in Nigeria. I have given approval for the allocation of a large expanse of land for the building of a spare parts market in Kaduna which I have no doubt in our mind, our people here would be the greatest beneficiary of the plot of land that I am giving for the construction and building of the spare parts market.

At the event, the Igbo community in Kaduna honoured Sani with the title of Ezi Enyi Ndigbo which means ‘friend of the Igbo.’ According to Francis Uchenna, president of the Igbo Community Welfare Association, Kaduna State, the Igbos in Kaduna appreciate the governor’s strides in rural infrastructure and ethnic harmony.

“Your inclusive and open governance approach, the near total peace and harmonious coexistence amongst various tribes and ethnic groups in Kaduna State are some of the indices we considered,” said Uchenna.

“The communities in Kaduna State are highly impressed with the giant strides your administration has recorded within a short period in office. Your efforts in rural infrastructural development, especially the ongoing construction of over 60 rural roads and completion of several others, reconstruction of secondary schools, primary health centres and schools across the state are commendable.” 

Indeed, the security of lives and property is now better. Southern Kaduna is peaceful while banditry, kidnapping and other heinous crimes are declining and areas like Birnin Gwari are coming back to life after a brief stint as a criminal haven. Roads are being constructed to link farms and markets in rural areas, local and foreign agricultural partners are investing in the state, and the administration is opening up to the modern gains of agro-processing as demonstrated by making history as the first Nigerian state to launch the Special Agro-Processing Zone, an initiative of Africa Development Bank (AfDB). In the health sector, Kaduna has employed more health workers, constructed general hospitals and built Primary Healthcare Centres. However, very formidable is its foray in upscaling the human capital by means of establishing special vocational training schools across the state and upgrading of the apprenticeship scheme the Panteka Market is famous for.

It is not a recent thing that Kaduna has been home to Nigerians from different parts of the country. But it is reassuring that other Nigerians from other parts of the country embracing Uba Sani. And the way the governor responds shows he is ‘good people’ as the Americans would say. The man is governor to and for everyone in Kaduna.

However, to those who know Sani, the show of love and vote of confidence from non-indigenous residents is not a fluke, neither are they coerced for photo-ops. Rather, his embrace is borne out of love for humanity. And perhaps, stemming from his interest in advocacy and human rights, right from his student days. Whereas the previous administration may have politicised the ‘indigeneship’ question in the state, this present administration is boosting the quality of governance. 

Though Sani won his rival at the gubernatorial poll with a slim lead, more Kaduna residents have since then gravitated towards him and his support base is growing stronger. In the political arena, defections to the APC, Sani’s party, is on the high. Party stakeholders and even some opponents praise him and want him back. But most importantly, ordinary Kaduna resident can see how well the state is thriving under Sani.

Before 1960, Kaduna had established itself as a commercial nerve centre in northern Nigeria. It attracted different people from across the country and beyond. Sadly, the cosmopolitan unity began fragmenting after the Nigerian civil war. Subsequent socio-political and economic accidents ensured Kaduna looked like a shell of its former self by May 2023. 

Thankfully, Sani is beginning to restore the state’s former glory. But he even aims higher as his administration’s economic agenda is to position Kaduna as not just an investment Mecca of northern Nigeria but of Nigeria as a whole. It’s a tall dream, one Sani is bent on making reality. However, Kaduna would need to be safer for that to happen..

Over the years, Sani has cultivated likability among Kaduna people and even has extended his hand of fellowship to others outside Kaduna. His capacity to reach out has also positively influenced Kaduna. For one, in the last two years, ethno-religious conflicts in the state have become a thing of the past. It would need such continuous safety to attract and retain the labour force required for the economic revolution. Hence, it is only commonsensical that for continued peace and harmony in Kaduna, divisive topics like ethnicity or religion must be bridged to give all residents a sense of belonging.

Embracing each other and building bridges across ethnicity and religion like Uba Sani encourages in Kaduna is sine qua non to economic growth and development.

Bako writes from Kaduna

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