Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has advised other states looking to adopt the Kaduna Peace Model to first identify the root causes of insecurity in their areas and ensure local communities take ownership of any peace-building initiative.
The governor made the remark on Monday while receiving members of the National Economic Council (NEC) Implementation Monitoring Committee at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.
According to Sani, his administration inherited widespread distrust between the government and residents when he assumed office in May 2023, making the restoration of public confidence a top priority.
He explained that his government also focused on justice, equity and inclusive governance to prevent politicians and conflict merchants from exploiting religious and ethnic divisions.
“From our statistics and data, we realised that we lost more lives as a result of the religious crises in Kaduna State than even banditry,” Sani said.
The governor stated that Kaduna has not recorded any ethno-religious crisis since he took office.
“I make bold to say that there has never been any incidence of ethno-religious crisis in Kaduna State since I became governor on May 29, 2023,” he added.
Sani said the Kaduna Peace Model, which he described as community-driven and home-grown, has also contributed to a significant reduction in banditry and kidnapping across the state.
He urged leaders to prioritise governance above politics.
“You have to relegate politics and focus on governance. We focused on governance; it has nothing to do with political affiliation, religious affiliation or geography,” he said.
The governor disclosed that improved security has enabled the state to reclaim over 500,000 hectares of abandoned farmland, while more than 100 schools and 150 primary healthcare centres previously shut due to insecurity have reopened.
He also highlighted increased investment in agriculture, revealing that Kaduna’s agriculture budget rose from ₦1.4 billion in 2023 to ₦123 billion, with the state distributing 900 trucks of free fertiliser to over 240,000 smallholder farmers.
According to Sani, Kaduna also became the first state in Nigeria to launch a Special Agro-Processing Zone, aimed at strengthening agricultural production and value addition.
