A RENEWED PROMISE OF NORTHERN UNITY

Uba Sani emphasises the importance of inclusive governance, and urged the North to recommit to justice, dialogue, and shared progress, writes ABUBARKA DAUDA

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At the silver jubilee celebration of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) in Kaduna, Governor Uba Sani delivered more than a ceremonial address. He offered a sober, philosophical, and forward-leaning reflection on the identity of Northern Nigeria, the legacy of its founding statesmen, and the task of reconstructing society through inclusive governance. 

The unwavering pan-northern, patriotic disposition of the governor came into focus again. He spoke with clarity, with a deep sense of history, policy, and moral clarity. The ACF jubilee celebration was indeed an outing for the governor to comprehensively articulate his vision for the region. Beyond formalities, it became a moment of introspection for Northern Nigeria, and a road map for the future.

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Governor Sani began by revisiting the origins of the ACF, founded in 2000 at a delicate moment when the North needed coherence and an organised voice. With scholarly precision, he narrated how Sultan Muhammadu Maccido convened northern elders in Kaduna to solve a gathering identity crisis. In the face of fragmentation, they chose unity, harmonising three major regional groups into one formidable body.

The governor’s tone was reverent. He recited the pantheon of Northern statesmen: Sultan Maccido, Yahaya Gusau, Liman Ciroma, Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Dikko Yusufu, Sunday Awoniyi, and Tanko Yakasai, whose ideological clarity formed the rock upon which the ACF stands. His emphasis here was deeply intentional: Northern unity was neither accidental nor effortless; it was engineered through sacrifice and statesmanship.

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Sani’s historical framing reminded listeners that Northern Nigeria’s strength has always come from purposeful consensus, not from geography or demography.

While acknowledging Kaduna as the ACF’s headquarters, Governor Sani reframed the privilege as a responsibility. Kaduna, he argued, is not just a central city, it is the enduring centre of northern dialogue, administration, and political evolution. Hosting the ACF is therefore a mandate to continually support a platform that shapes the region’s conscience.

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This reflection cleverly sets the stage for his broader message: that peace, unity, and shared progress cannot be assumed; they must be built and maintained.

In the speech’s most intellectually engaging section, Governor Sani introduced what he calls the Kaduna Peace Model, a systems-based approach to governing a socially diverse and historically conflict-prone state. His thesis was simple but profound: peace does not emerge from declarations; it is engineered.

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He described a security architecture linked to: intelligence-driven engagement, local empowerment, technology-enhanced monitoring, and collaboration with federal security bodies.

The result, he asserted, is a growing sense of calm across communities previously besieged by criminality. The return of farmers to their fields stands as the clearest indicator of restored confidence.

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Sani’s analysis was clear: security is not merely a policing function, it is a development function; and development, if justly distributed, becomes the most durable form of conflict prevention.

One of the strongest thematic threads in the governor’s speech was the moral dimension of governance. He repeatedly tied policy to empathy, responsibility, and justice. His report on Kaduna’s progress since 2023 was framed not as political boasting but as a demonstration of inclusive governance at work.

Furthermore, the governor painted a picture of revived rural economies driven by mechanisation, extension support, improved seedlings, and market access. The subtext was clear: a secure agricultural chain strengthens families, reduces tension, and empowers communities.

On health, he spoke passionately about expanded primary healthcare services, upgraded secondary facilities, and a goal of ensuring that neither distance nor poverty determines access to medical care. This is a sentiment rarely expressed so directly by political leaders.

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Education, in Sani’s words, is not a sector—it is the long-term strategy for peace. This framing captures the governor’s understanding of the causal link between illiteracy, unemployment, and insecurity.

Perhaps Sani’s boldest claim was the equitable distribution of infrastructure across all 23 LGAs. Rather than citing endless statistics, he made a philosophical argument: infrastructure must heal divides, not deepen them. In a region where perceptions of neglect often fuel grievances, this is an important political stance.

Governor Sani highlighted Kaduna’s well-attended Special Town Hall Meeting on the 2026 Budget, where civil society, traditional rulers, faith leaders, business communities, and grassroots citizens shaped policy decisions. With 71% of the ₦985.9 billion budget allocated to capital expenditure, particularly rural transformation, the governor underscored his administration’s commitment to accountability. In an era where public distrust remains high, Sani’s embrace of participatory budgeting places Kaduna among the more progressive subnational governments.

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Sani did not romanticize the region. He listed the problems with stark honesty: insecurity, out-of-school children, unemployment, poverty, climate displacement, and weakened community bonds. These, he said, “transcend borders.”

Here, the governor issued a call to action to the ACF: become the intellectual engine of the North. Not merely a cultural symbol, but a think tank capable of shaping policy and refining leadership.

In a politically astute section, Governor Sani publicly thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for strengthening national security and supporting development in Kaduna. By rooting Kaduna’s success within a national context, Sani signaled an alignment that is both strategic and stabilizing.

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The speech ended as it began with unity. The governor invoked the ACF’s founding creed and urged Northern Nigeria to recommit to justice, dialogue, and shared progress. His benediction—blessing the ACF, Kaduna State, Northern Nigeria, and the entire nation—was unmistakably statesmanlike.

In a region where rhetoric often overshadows substance, Sani’s speech combined both. More than a ceremonial address, it became a manifesto for a new pan-northern consciousness, built on unity, equity, and engineered peace.

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 Dauda writes from Kaduna state