Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has allayed the fears of Northerners over the perceived marginalisation by the Bola Tinubu-led government, saying that there was no iota of truth in the narrative.

Speaking with newsmen at the weekend after a closed-door meeting with President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, the governor while acknowledging the myriad of problems facing the region, underscored tangible evidence disproving claims of neglect by the current administration and highlighted ongoing collaborative development efforts.

Emphasising adequate northern representation at the centre, Sani while addressing the concerns of marginalisation, drew attention to the prominent role northerners occupy in critical federal positions.

According to him: ?You cannot be talking about marginalisation when you have the Minister of Defence, Minister of State for Defence, the National Security Advisor, the Chief of Defence Staff, and the Chief of Army Staff?all from northern Nigeria. Even the head of the Civil Defense and Controller to Migration are from the North.

?Both the Minister and Minister of State for Agriculture are northerners; Health is led by someone from the North. When you look at these records and positions, what are we talking about marginalization??

He called on all stakeholders to move past claims of marginalization towards pragmatic solutions.

His words: ?Northern Nigeria?s problems are complex and steeped in history, but blaming others is not productive. The evidence shows northerners are well represented and involved in government at all levels. The key is human capital development and unity among northern leaders, businessmen, and communities. Government alone cannot solve these challenges?it requires collective effort.?

Commenting on Kaduna?s historic Northern leaders gathering at Arewa House, from July 29?30, 2025, to address long-standing concern, the governor noted that the meeting attracted over 80 government officials from northern Nigeria alongside major stakeholders?from academics to civil society leaders, market women, youth groups, traditional and religious leaders, describing it as ?very important, critical, and commendable.?

?For the first time in our nation?s history, such a broad representation came together to discuss holistically the challenges of northern Nigeria. We all agreed no zone in the North was marginalized, based on data and statistics.?

Sani acknowledged that while ?many speculated before the meeting that northern Nigeria was marginalised,? the evidence shows otherwise.

On the pressing issue of education and youth development, the governor was specific about the region?s challenges saying ?The most important area we need to address in northern Nigeria is human capital development.

?According to UNICEF data, in 2023, there are 18.5 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, with 70 to 80 percent domiciled in northern Nigeria. This is a serious problem that requires focused intervention.?

He stressed that these are long-standing issues, noting, ?The problem is not new. Even in 2019, when I was in the Senate, the out-of-school children were already about 18 million. So, this is a trajectory we must change.?

Sani further canvassed a united approach: ?We should not be sitting there complaining, blaming everyone. Instead, we must bring all stakeholders together?business leaders, civil society, government?to chart a pathway forward. Looking at wealth distribution, many of the richest business leaders in Nigeria, including the richest man in Africa, hail from northern Nigeria. We need their involvement in solving these problems.?

Speaking on his meeting with President Tinubu, the governor gave comprehensive updates on Kaduna?s development projects. He expressed optimism on the state?s progress in transport infrastructure, saying, ?we are working closely with the federal government on our light rail project here in Kaduna to complement our Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which started about six months ago, I came to brief Mr. President on the progress we are making.?

On healthcare, he highlighted a key initiative: ?When President Tinubu visited Kaduna, we agreed to establish a cancer center within our 300-bed specialist hospital, Bolami Julio Specialist Hospital. I assured the President that the process of building this cancer center has now started.?

Also commenting on the Kaduna-Abuja road project, Sani echoed the federal government?s commitment saying ?The Executive Council has allocated funds, and the Minister of Works informed me that 200 billion naira has been released to contractors. This road is very important. While initially planned for 14 months, we now aim to complete it within eight months.?

On the issue of security, the governor acknowledged ongoing challenges but alluded to evolving strategies.

According to him: ?We recruited about 7,000 vigilance personnel who have helped significantly in intelligence gathering and sharing. Security cannot be won by kinetic means alone; it requires socio-economic interventions at the grassroots.?

?Addressing the root economic and social causes is vital to restoring peace in the Northwest and beyond. This government is committed to that comprehensive strategy,? Sani further said. (AriseNews TV)

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