North has enough human resources to solve its problems, says Uba Sani

Uba Sani, the governor of Kaduna, says the northern region has sufficient human capital to address its developmental challenges if its elites unite and provide coordinated leadership.

The governor spoke when the leadership of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), led by Bashir Dalhatu, Wazirin Dutse, paid him a courtesy visit.

He noted that the ACF’s current leadership has renewed its sense of direction.

“For years, we have repeatedly spoken about our challenges — poverty, education gaps, healthcare deficits, and other development issues,” he said. 

“I believe we have reached a point where we must stop complaining and start acting.”

The governor stressed that the north has accomplished professionals and entrepreneurs whose expertise can be mobilised for regional development.

“We have many successful northern professionals across different fields — business, academia, entrepreneurship, medicine, and others; the missing link is bringing everyone together,” he explained.

“The ACF can help bridge that gap, by enabling us to benefit from their collective experience, achievements and resources, to benefit our people.”

Sani praised ACF’s plan to create a central endowment fund and urged that skills acquisition be a core priority to “make our people self-reliant.”

He expressed concern that a large number of northerners remain financially excluded because they lack bank accounts, limiting their access to government support programmes.

Sani recalled that one of his first actions in office was signing the first executive order on financial inclusion, which he said helped onboard more than 2.1 million vulnerable residents into the financial system within a year.

He also encouraged northern investors to channel funds into the financial sector to support small and medium-sized enterprises across the region.

He revealed that over 60 percent of local governments in the north do not have a single bank branch.

“Today, as we are speaking, there are over 4,000 branches of national banks in Nigeria,” he noted.

“But only Kaduna and Kano states have about 100 branches.

“But if you go to some states in the south that are not even up to 20% of the population of Kano state, they have more bank branches than Kano state, which has 44 local governments.”

The governor said ACF remains a credible platform for addressing the region’s challenges because it is a neutral, non-partisan organisation.

He added that the absence of collaboration between ACF, northern state governments, and political leaders had weakened the forum’s efforts in the past, but noted that the new leadership is steering a fresh approach.

He commended ACF for reaching out to groups such as Afenifere and Ohaneze Ndigbo to strengthen inter-regional understanding.

Earlier, Dalhatu, chairman of the ACF board of trustees, said the delegation visited Sir Kashim Ibrahim House to formally inform the governor about the forum’s upcoming 25th anniversary celebration scheduled to be held in Kaduna from November 20 to 22.

He thanked Sani for the support he has provided to the ACF since assuming office.

“Since its establishment, the ACF operated from offices belonging to the Kaduna state government,” the chairman stated.

“When you assumed office, you graciously allocated the property to us permanently.

“We sincerely appreciate this generosity; for the first time, we are operating from premises we can call our own.”

Dalhatu announced that Vice-President Kashim Shettima will be the special guest at the event and added that ministers from the northern region are expected to attend.

“As chief host, your excellency, we also seek your support in inviting your colleagues to give the celebration greater weight, productivity, and opportunities for meaningful exchange of ideas,” he told the governor.

He said the ACF had “reached out to socio-cultural groups in both the north and the south” and invited respected independent figures to foster broader dialogue and cohesion.”

“We want to begin sustained dialogue with our brothers and sisters in the South, to share experiences and learn from each other, all in the spirit of promoting a strong, united Nigeria,” he said.

Dalhatu said the forum had met with Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto, who pledged to mobilise traditional rulers across northern states.

“We have engaged the leadership of Jumma’at mosques, the Deputy President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and other officials,” he added.

“We have circulated notices to state chapters across the region.”