Gov Sani tips other states off on how to copy Kaduna peace model

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has offered guidance to other states seeking to replicate the Kaduna peace model, stressing the importance of first identifying the specific drivers of their security challenges. He advised that for any peace model to succeed, communities must be empowered to "own" it and believe in its efficacy.

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you have to relegate politics and focus on governance. When we came in, we said the issue of politics is over. We focused on governance; it has nothing to do with political affiliation, religious affiliation, or geography

Governor Sani shared insights during a courtesy visit from the Implementation Monitoring Committee of the National Economic Council. He noted that upon assuming office, his administration prioritized addressing the "trust deficit" between the government and the populace. Furthermore, he highlighted the administration's focus on "justice, equity, as well as fairness," stating that these principles had been exploited by politicians for personal gain in the past.

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From our statistics and data, we realized that we lost more lives as a result of the religious crises in Kaduna State, than even banditry.

Recounting the state's past security landscape, Sani described a period where "conflict entrepreneurs" exploited religious and ethnic tensions, leading to significant havoc. He revealed that statistics indicated more lives were lost due to ethno-religious crises than banditry. His government has since tackled these issues through a policy of inclusion and even development across all 23 local government areas.

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I make bold to say that there has never been any incidence of ethno-religious crisis in Kaduna State since I became Governor on May 29, 2023

"I make bold to say that there has never been any incidence of ethno-religious crisis in Kaduna State since I became Governor on May 29, 2023," Sani declared. He attributed the drastic scaling down of banditry and kidnapping to the "home-grown and community-driven" nature of the Kaduna peace model. The governor also reported that over 500,000 hectares of land, previously abandoned due to insecurity, have been reclaimed, allowing farmers to return. Additionally, over 100 schools and more than 150 primary healthcare facilities, which had been closed, are now operational.

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Today, as we are speaking, we have reclaimed over 500,000 hectares of land that were abandoned because of insecurity. Now our farmers have gone back to their farms.