Kaduna: Reforms Have Improved Service Delivery — Uba Sani

Governor Uba Sani has promised that Kaduna State remains committed to deepening reforms that strengthen fiscal resilience and improve service delivery.

The Governor also pledged that every financial resource that is entrusted to government will deliver measurable value for the people of Kaduna State.

He made these commitments when members of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission came to Sir Kashim Ibrahim House on a courtesy visit on Wednesday.

Members of the Commission, led by their Chairman, Dr Mohammed Bello Shehu, have been touring states in their efforts to review Nigeria’s horizontal revenue allocation formula.

In his remarks, Governor Uba Sani disclosed that his administration has demonstrated that prudent resource management, institutional reforms and strategic investments can produce transformative outcomes.

According to him, Kaduna State has made significant progress in fiscal sustainability, healthcare delivery and education in the last three years.

The Governor disclosed that reforms, improved technology and transparency have resulted into an increase in the Internally Generated Revenue of Kaduna State.

‘’This achievement did not occur by chance. It was the product of deliberate reforms aimed at diversifying revenue sources, modernising tax administration and improving compliance through technology-driven systems.

‘’The introduction of Project C.R.A.F.T. and the PAYKADUNA platform has simplified revenue payments, enhanced transparency and significantly reduced leakages,’’ he added.

The Governor also pointed out that his administration has made deliberate efforts to build public confidence in government.

‘’As trust in public institutions has grown, voluntary tax compliance has strengthened accordingly, reinforcing the principle that citizens are more willing to contribute when they see tangible evidence that public resources are managed responsibly and translated into improved public services,’’ he argued.

Governor Uba Sani also said that his administration has undertaken an extensive expansion and modernisation of healthcare infrastructure across the state.

He said that Kaduna State Government has upgraded one Primary Healthcare Centre in each Local Government Area into a Centre of Excellence.

The Governor further said that he has procured modern medical equipment and three ambulances, recruited and improved remuneration of healthcare personnel.

Kaduna State has also expanded access to quality education and has remained at the centre of the Governor Uba Sani administration’s development strategy.

‘’We have achieved near-perfect gender parity in school enrolment, with boys and girls now represented in almost equal numbers.

‘’This milestone reflects the impact of sustained collaboration with development partners, particularly through the AGILE and ROOSC programmes, which have significantly expanded educational opportunities for girls and other vulnerable children,’’ he added.

The Governor argued that the clearest indicator of the progress made by Kaduna State Government is the substantial decline in the number of out-of-school children from a projected estimate of 535,000 in 2023.

‘’However, our most recent household mapping exercise identified 187,720 out-of-school children across all twenty-three Local Government Areas,’’ he disclosed.

Governor Uba Sani acknowledged that although there are still challenges in the efforts to reduce the number of out-of-school children, but the direction of travel is unmistakably encouraging in Kaduna State.

According to him, the gains recorded by his government have been driven by sustained public investment, including allocating 26.5 percent of the state budget to education.

The Governor also listed the successful utilisation of UBEC intervention funds, implementation of the World Bank-supported BESDA programme as drivers of the success recorded so far.

He further listed the expansion of school feeding and free education initiatives, consolidation of schools in security challenged communities into safer learning environments, and the extension of teachers’ service years to retain experienced professionals within the system.

Governor Uba Sani pointed out that ‘’these achievements illustrate what is possible when sound fiscal management is matched by purposeful leadership, strong institutions and sustained investment in human development.’’

He said that Kaduna State deeply appreciates the steadfast partnership between RMAFC and sub-national governments ‘’in revenue mobilisation, fiscal oversight, data verification and the development of institutional frameworks that enable states to deliver more effectively on their obligations to citizens.’’