UCLG World Congress praises Kaduna's open government efforts

The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress has praised Governor Uba Sani’s work on transparency, citizen involvement, and democratic governance. This praise happened in Tangiers, Morocco after Mr Sani spoke at a session called, ‘Human Capital and Democratic Transformation: What Future For The Global South?’

Governor Sani was represented by Mukhtar Ahmed Mohammed, the Commissioner of Planning and Budget Commission. He highlighted Kaduna State’s reforms in open government, human capital development, and planning based on evidence.

He mentioned that the SUSTAIN Agenda of the administration focuses on security, infrastructure, agriculture, strengthening institutions, human capital, and getting citizens involved. This has led to significant investments in education, healthcare, vocational training, and agriculture.

The commissioner said that the Uba Sani administration built 736 classrooms and hired 10,000 teachers. He pointed out that they have revitalised 255 Primary Healthcare Centres, set up 23 centres of excellence, restored over 500,000 hectares of farmland, and allocated more than 11 percent of the state’s 2026 budget to agriculture.

Mr Mohammed also shared that all 23 Local Government Areas have joined the Open Government Partnership initiative. He added that participatory budgeting, citizen audits, open contracting, and fiscal transparency have improved accountability.

He said the Community Development Charter ensures community involvement in budgeting. At least 5 percent of capital spending is set aside for projects chosen by citizens.

The commissioner noted that ₦100 million has been set aside for all 255 political wards in this year’s budget. This is meant for community-focused development projects.

Mr Mohammed told delegates that Kaduna is the first state government in Nigeria to create a Citizens’ Participatory Audit Framework. Kaduna also recently got a perfect score in BudgIT’s States Fiscal Transparency League.

He explained that Kaduna’s experience shows that democratic change comes not just from elections. It requires making citizen involvement part of governance, budgeting, procurement, project monitoring, and public accountability.

He added that governments that put money into people while allowing citizens to influence public policy are better placed to build trust, strengthen institutions, and achieve sustainable development.

The commissioner urged for stronger global support for local governments. He said that states and local governments are key in carrying out development policies and should be seen as important partners in reaching the post-2030 global development goals.

A statement from the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, said Kaduna State’s presence at the UCLG World Congress shows the growing international recognition of Governor Uba Sani’s reforms.

He said it also highlights the Governor’s work in promoting transparency, fiscal accountability, citizen participation, and inclusive development through the Open Government Partnership.

“Under the leadership of Governor Uba Sani, we have shown that transparency, citizen involvement, and smart investment in human capital are not just ideas but real tools for achieving sustainable development and rebuilding public trust,” he added.