Reported by Weng Patrick Atokor l Journalist at Weng Global
Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has called on political leaders across Northern Nigeria to develop a common development blueprint that prioritises education, healthcare, skills acquisition and human capital development over the pursuit of political power at the federal level.
Sani made the appeal on Wednesday, October 7, 2026, when leaders of the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation visited him at the Government House in Kaduna. Reports published on October 8 said the governor expressed concern about the region’s development challenges and the absence of a coordinated agenda for addressing them.
The governor identified the high number of out-of-school children, inadequate skills-based education and weaknesses in healthcare delivery as major issues requiring a collective response from political leaders and other stakeholders.
His remarks highlight a wider question facing Northern Nigeria: how can the region translate its political influence, population and economic potential into measurable improvements in the lives of its people?
Why Uba Sani Wants a Common Development Agenda
According to reports by TheCable and The Guardian, Sani argued that Northern political elites should focus more on developing solutions to the region’s social and economic problems rather than concentrating primarily on the struggle for power at the centre.
The governor commended the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation for encouraging political officeholders to place human capital development at the centre of regional discussions.
A common development agenda could help Northern states identify shared priorities, coordinate policies and establish measurable targets in areas such as education, public health, vocational training and employment.
However, the effectiveness of such a blueprint would depend on more than political agreement. It would require sustained funding, cooperation between state governments, reliable data, transparent implementation and regular assessment of results.
Northern Nigeria comprises states with different economic circumstances, security conditions and development needs. A regional framework would therefore need to accommodate local differences while addressing problems that cross state boundaries.
Education Remains a Major Challenge
Education was among the key issues highlighted by Sani during the meeting.
The governor referred to the large number of children outside formal education in Northern Nigeria, describing the situation as a serious obstacle to the region’s long-term development.
According to figures cited by Sani and reported by TheCable, Nigeria has approximately 18 million out-of-school children, with about 70 per cent living in the northern part of the country. These figures should be understood as statistics cited in the governor’s remarks, rather than a new independent assessment conducted for this report.
Children who cannot access consistent, quality education face greater barriers to acquiring literacy, numeracy and the practical skills needed to participate fully in the economy.
The consequences can extend beyond individual households. Low educational participation can weaken workforce development, reduce productivity and make it harder for communities to escape persistent poverty.
Addressing the problem requires identifying children who are not attending school, reducing financial and geographical barriers to education, improving school facilities and ensuring that teachers are available and adequately supported.
It also requires attention to the circumstances that keep children out of classrooms, including household poverty, insecurity and limited access to educational facilities in some communities.
Kaduna’s Approach to Returning Children to School
Sani cited Kaduna State’s efforts to identify out-of-school children and return them to formal education as part of the state’s response to the challenge.
The governor said more than 500,000 children were roaming the streets of Kaduna when he assumed office in May 2023, adding that his administration had returned approximately 360,000 of them to school.
These figures were reported by TheCable in its account of the governor’s remarks. They represent claims attributed to the governor and should be assessed alongside independently verifiable enrolment and attendance data.
Sani also said the state’s household-mapping approach had been adopted by the Federal Ministry of Education as a model for addressing the out-of-school children problem.
Household mapping can help authorities identify children who are not enrolled, determine where they live and understand the barriers preventing them from attending school. Such information can make education planning more targeted than relying solely on general population estimates.
Nevertheless, returning a child to school is only one part of the process. Sustained progress also depends on attendance, learning outcomes, teacher quality, school safety and the ability of families to keep children in education.
The wider challenge for Northern states is to ensure that improvements in enrolment translate into lasting access to quality learning.
Vocational Training and Skills Development
The governor also identified skills-based education as an important part of the region’s development strategy.
Traditional academic education remains essential, but vocational and technical training can provide additional pathways into employment, entrepreneurship and industry for young people.
Sani said Kaduna had established an Institute of Vocational Training and Skills Development, with campuses serving different parts of the state. According to TheCable, the governor identified practical training areas including information and communication technology, mechatronics and renewable energy.
He also said more than 4,000 artisans and tradespeople had graduated from the institute.
The governor disclosed that the state was considering expanding admissions to approximately 32,000 trainees, a plan he said could create capacity to train more than 30,000 young people annually.
The proposed expansion is an ambition stated by the governor; it should not be interpreted as an already achieved annual enrolment figure.
If implemented effectively, vocational training could help young people acquire practical skills relevant to employers and emerging industries. It could also support small businesses by increasing the availability of trained technicians and skilled workers.
However, training programmes are most effective when their courses reflect actual labour-market demand, instructors have appropriate expertise, equipment is available and graduates can access jobs, apprenticeships or business financing.
Coordination with employers and recognised certification systems would therefore be important to the success of any expansion.
Healthcare and Maternal and Child Mortality
Healthcare was another major concern raised during the meeting.
Sani pointed to inadequate healthcare delivery and high maternal and child mortality as challenges requiring urgent attention across Northern Nigeria.
Access to reliable healthcare is closely connected to household income, geographical distance, staffing levels, medical supplies and the availability of functioning health facilities.
For women and children, access to antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric services, immunisation and timely treatment can make a critical difference to health outcomes.
The governor said his administration had prioritised primary healthcare to meet the needs of poorer and rural residents while also investing in secondary healthcare services.
Primary healthcare facilities can serve as the first point of contact for many communities, providing preventive care, basic treatment, maternal services and referrals when more specialised medical attention is required.
But infrastructure and policy commitments must translate into services that residents can actually use. Adequate staffing, essential medicines, equipment, funding and effective referral systems are all necessary to improve healthcare outcomes.
For Northern Nigeria, cooperation between state governments, local authorities, healthcare professionals and development partners could help address shared gaps in service delivery.
Why the Development Agenda Matters to Northern Nigeria
The governor’s appeal is significant because education, healthcare and skills development influence several other areas of regional progress.
A better-educated population can strengthen productivity and improve people’s ability to participate in economic and civic life. Better healthcare can reduce preventable illness and help families avoid some of the financial pressures associated with untreated medical conditions. Practical skills can improve access to work and support entrepreneurship.
These areas are also connected. Children are more likely to benefit from education when they are healthy, while young people need relevant training and employment opportunities to convert their education into economic security.
A common development blueprint could help governments approach these issues as interconnected priorities rather than isolated policy concerns.
It could also provide a basis for comparing performance across states, sharing effective approaches and directing resources towards communities with the greatest needs.
However, a regional agenda would need clear objectives and public accountability. Without measurable targets, transparent spending and consistent monitoring, commitments to human capital development risk remaining political declarations rather than producing tangible improvements.
Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation Summit
The governor’s remarks came ahead of a planned summit organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation.
TheCable reported that the summit was scheduled for October 28, 2026, under the theme, “Good Governance, Industry and Creativity, as well as Sustainable Development”.
The meeting is expected to provide a platform for discussions about governance and development priorities in Northern Nigeria.
Former Niger State Governor Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu led the foundation’s delegation during its visit to Sani, according to reports published after the meeting.
The foundation’s planned summit offers an opportunity for political leaders and other stakeholders to discuss common problems and consider practical responses. The extent of its impact, however, will depend on whether discussions lead to specific commitments, implementation arrangements and follow-up mechanisms.
What Happens Next?
The next important test will be whether Northern political leaders can turn calls for a common agenda into coordinated action.
Key questions include whether participating states will agree on measurable development targets, how proposed programmes will be funded, which institutions will oversee implementation and how citizens will assess progress.
Education policy will need to address both school access and learning quality. Vocational programmes will need to demonstrate that their graduates can secure employment or establish sustainable businesses. Healthcare initiatives will need to show improvements in access to essential services and health outcomes.
The planned October 28 summit could provide an opportunity to advance those discussions, although any specific commitments or outcomes will need to be confirmed after the event.
For residents, the value of a common blueprint will ultimately be judged by practical changes: more children learning in safe schools, more young people gaining marketable skills, and more families obtaining reliable healthcare.
Sani’s appeal places human capital development at the centre of the regional conversation. Turning that message into lasting progress will require cooperation across political divides, sustained investment and evidence that agreed policies are improving everyday life.
For Northern Nigeria, the central challenge is not simply to agree that development matters, but to establish a coordinated and accountable process for delivering it.
Weng Global – Stories beyond borders
Sources
- TheCable — Uba Sani: Northern leaders need common agenda to tackle region’s challenges, October 8, 2026.
- The Guardian Nigeria — Uba Sani urges Northern elites to unite on development blueprint, October 8, 2026.
- Blueprint Newspapers — Uba Sani to northern elites: Chart a common development blueprint, October 8, 2026.
