UCLG World Congress praises Kaduna's open government reforms

The United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) World Congress praised Governor Uba Sani for his commitment to transparency, citizen participation, and democratic governance.

The commendation was delivered in Tangiers, Morocco, after the Governor spoke at a high‑level session titled “Human Capital and Democratic Transformation: What Future For The Global South?”

Represented by the Commissioner of the Planning and Budget Commission, Alhaji Mukhtar Ahmed Mohammed, the Governor highlighted Kaduna State’s reforms in open government, human‑capital development, and evidence‑based planning.

Commissioner Ahmed explained that the administration’s SUSTAIN Agenda prioritises security, infrastructure, agriculture, institutional strengthening, human capital, and citizen engagement, leading to significant investments in education, healthcare, vocational training, and agriculture.

He noted that Governor Uba Sani’s government has built 736 classrooms and recruited 10,000 teachers.

He also reported that the administration has revitalised 255 Primary Healthcare Centres, established 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.

The Commissioner added that all 23 Local Government Areas have joined the Open Government Partnership initiative, and that participatory budgeting, citizen audits, open contracting, and fiscal transparency have strengthened accountability.

According to him, the Community Development Charter guarantees community participation in budgeting, reserving at least five percent of capital expenditure for citizen‑nominated projects.

The Commissioner also disclosed that ₦100 million has been allocated to each of the 255 political wards in this year’s budget for community‑centred development initiatives.

Mukhtar Ahmed further told delegates that Kaduna was the first subnational government in Nigeria to institutionalise a Citizens’ Participatory Audit Framework and recently achieved a perfect score in BudgIT’s States Fiscal Transparency League.

He argued that Kaduna’s experience shows that democratic transformation is achieved not only through periodic elections but by institutionalising citizen participation in governance, budgeting, procurement, project monitoring, and public accountability.

According to him, governments that invest in people while empowering citizens to shape public policy are better positioned to build trust, strengthen institutions, and deliver sustainable development.

The Commissioner also called for stronger global support for subnational governments, stressing that states and local governments are at the forefront of implementing development policies and should be recognised as strategic partners in achieving the post‑2030 global development agenda.

A statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, said that Kaduna State’s participation at the UCLG World Congress underscores the growing international recognition of Governor Uba Sani’s reforms.

According to him, it also highlights the Governor’s efforts in promoting transparency, fiscal accountability, citizen participation, and inclusive development through the Open Government Partnership.

“Under the leadership of Governor Uba Sani, we have demonstrated that transparency, citizen participation, and strategic investment in human capital are not just governance ideals but practical tools for delivering sustainable development and restoring public trust,” he added.