Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has said political leaders who held public office in Northern Nigeria since 1999 must share responsibility for the region’s developmental challenges, including its high number of out-of-school children.
Sani made the remarks while defending President Bola Tinubu’s performance, arguing that the region’s longstanding problems should not be blamed solely on an administration that took office in May 2023.
“I’m a northerner, and I’m telling you that anybody who held position, whether a governor, minister, senator, vice president, you should be ready to take blame,” he said.
The governor cited figures indicating that Nigeria had about 18 million out-of-school children in 2023, with approximately 70 per cent of them living in Northern Nigeria.
He questioned why Tinubu should bear sole responsibility for an education crisis that had persisted for decades.
Sani also said Kaduna State had about 550,000 out-of-school children when he assumed office in 2023, claiming that his administration had returned 300,000 of them to classrooms.
He urged politicians to stop relying on regional identity to win votes, saying voters in Northern Nigeria should judge candidates by their records in public office.
“The people of Northern Nigeria are very smart. You cannot come to them and tell them, ‘Vote for me because I’m a northerner.’ They will never vote for you. They can only vote for you based on your track record,” he said.
To support his defence of Tinubu’s administration, Sani highlighted federal road projects across the North-East and North-West.
He said more than 348 kilometres of roads had been completed in the North-East, while about 3,100 kilometres were under construction, with approximately 1,800 kilometres nearing 90 per cent completion.
In the North-West, he said more than 342 kilometres of roads had been completed, while another 1,042 kilometres were nearing 90 per cent completion.
On education financing, the governor said more than 414,000 students from the North-West had benefited from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, with about N84 billion allocated to the region.
He described the student loan scheme as an intervention for young people from low-income households who might otherwise struggle to finance their education.
Sani also stressed the need to expand technical and vocational education and training, saying skills development was crucial to tackling unemployment and creating opportunities for young people.
He maintained that education remained central to Northern Nigeria’s development, urging political leaders to prioritise policies and programmes that improve residents’ lives.
