Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has expressed concern over the North’s slow development

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has expressed concern over the North’s slow development despite its wealth of skilled professionals. He attributes this to the region’s elites failing to unite and harness available human resources.

Governor Sani made this statement when the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) leadership, led by Alhaji Bashir Dalhatu, paid him a courtesy call in Kaduna. He emphasized the need for Northern leaders to stop complaining and take concrete action to address poverty, education gaps, healthcare deficits, and other development issues.

The governor highlighted the North’s abundance of accomplished professionals in various fields but noted a lack of coordination to drive development. He suggested that the ACF can help bridge this gap by enabling the region to benefit from collective experience, achievements, and resources.

Governor Sani commended the ACF’s plan to establish a Central Endowment Fund, urging them to prioritize skills acquisition to make Northern youths self-reliant. He also raised concerns over high financial exclusion in the region, noting that many poor residents lack bank accounts, causing them to miss out on government social programs.

The governor recalled signing the First Executive Order on Financial Inclusion, which helped onboard over 2.1 million vulnerable people into the financial system within one year. He urged Northern businessmen to invest in the financial sector, highlighting that over 60% of local governments in the region lack a single bank branch.

The ACF leadership informed Governor Sani of their forthcoming 25th anniversary celebration and thanked him for allocating office property to the group. They plan to establish an endowment fund for community-based development initiatives and engage with traditional rulers, religious leaders, lawmakers, and socio-cultural groups to deepen national cohesion.