Stories from JOHN FWAH, Kaduna
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has formally recognised Kaduna State as the national benchmark for drug prevention and treatment, praising the state’s bold reforms and comprehensive approach to tackling substance abuse and mental health challenges.
In a letter personally signed by the UNODC Country Representative, Mr Cheikh Toure, and addressed to Governor Uba Sani, the organisation lauded Kaduna’s “remarkable strides” in strengthening both institutional and community-based interventions.
The letter underscored the state’s groundbreaking transition from the Kaduna Bureau of Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment into the fully integrated Kaduna State Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Agency (KadSAMHSA).
According to UNODC, Kaduna’s unified structure — combining mental health and substance-use interventions under one coordinated agency — aligned with global best practices and stood out as one of the most effective subnational models in Nigeria.
UNODC also highlighted the State Government’s strong emphasis on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation, and public education, supported by multisectoral coordination, community outreach, and psychosocial support.
This balanced and wholistic approach, it noted, reflected forward-thinking governance and a genuine commitment to comprehensive drug control.
The UN agency further disclosed that several states — including Yobe, Borno, Bayelsa and Kwara — had approached UNODC for guidance on replicating the widely referenced “Kaduna Model,” now regarded as a standard for sustainable and effective drug response across the country.
This growing interest, UNODC added, reinforced Kaduna State’s reputation as a national leader and innovator in public health reform and social reintegration efforts.
Reaffirming its support, UNODC assured that it will continue to provide Kaduna State with technical assistance, capacity building and programme linkages to national and regional drug control strategies.
It pledged to further strengthen its partnership with the state government and KadSAMHSA to advance evidence-based prevention and treatment systems.
Governor Sani proposes N985.9 bn budget for 2026
Governor Uba Sani on Monday presented the 2026 Appropriation Bill of Kaduna State to the State House of Assembly, outlining a spending plan anchored on security, human capital development, rural transformation and fiscal discipline.
Presenting the proposal at Lugard Hall, the governor disclosed the budget was not just a constitutional obligation but a civic duty aimed at reviewing Kaduna’s progress and defining a clear direction for 2026.
Governor Sani announced that the proposed budget stood at N985.9 billion, with capital expenditure taking 71 per cent and recurrent spending accounting for 29 per cent.
Education and infrastructure each received 25 per cent of the allocation, while health, agriculture, security and social development received significant shares.
He said all 255 wards in the state have been allocated N100 million each for community-identified projects, maintaining Kaduna’s lead in participatory budgeting.
He reaffirmed that no new loans have been contracted since 2023, while N114.9 billion has been paid in debt servicing.
Governor Sani described the draft budget as a document of “vision and purpose,” built on transparency, inclusion and a strong commitment to public welfare.
He said the budget was shaped through the most extensive stakeholder consultation ever undertaken in the state.
Inputs were drawn from traditional institutions, civil society groups, business leaders, development partners, youth organisations, women’s groups and vulnerable communities.
He commended the Assembly for its openness to dialogue and its role in strengthening participatory governance.
Reviewing the 2025 fiscal year, the Governor said Kaduna recorded remarkable progress across multiple sectors despite security challenges and fluctuating revenues.
He said improved collaboration with security agencies helped strengthen operations, enhance surveillance and restore stability in previously troubled communities.
The governor noted that the Kaduna Peace Model continued to yield results through dialogue and early warning systems, leading to the reopening of farmlands and the return of children to schools previously shut due to insecurity.
He reported major gains in infrastructure renewal, including 140 new road projects covering 1,335 kilometres across the state.
Of these, 64 have been completed, with several benefiting local government areas that had not seen new road construction in more than a decade.
He said Kaduna’s aggressive transportation reforms—especially the Kaduna Bus Rapid Transit (KBRT) system and new intercity terminals—were laying the foundation for modern, safe and efficient mobility.
He added that transport subsidies introduced in 2024 have already saved households more than N500 million.
Governor Sani also highlighted progress on the Kaduna Light Rail Project, new bus stops and trailer parks designed to reduce congestion and eliminate illegal motor parks.
On education, he said more than 300,000 out-of-school children were returned to classrooms in 2025, while 535 schools were reopened.
The state constructed 736 classrooms, renovated 1,220 others, delivered thousands of learning materials and trained more than 33,000 teachers.
The governor noted significant investments in healthcare, including the upgrading of 255 Primary Healthcare Centres, the reconstruction of 15 General Hospitals, and the commissioning of the 300-bed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Specialist Hospital.
He said implementation of CONMESS and CONHESS, recruitment of new health workers and the expansion of emergency medical services have improved service delivery.
He described agriculture as a sector that received “historic investment,” rising from N1.4 billion in 2023 to N74.2 billion in 2025.
The state distributed more than 900 trucks of free fertiliser to smallholder farmers and advanced the $510 million Special Agro-Industrial Processing Zone project supported by the African Development Bank.
He cited achievements in skills development, including the expansion of vocational training centres in Rigachikun, Samaru Kataf, and Soba and the transformation of Panteka Market into a modern skills and enterprise hub.
The governor urged the legislature to give the draft budget thorough consideration, describing it as a blueprint for renewal, resilience and inclusive growth.
He pledged continued collaboration with lawmakers to build “a Kaduna where progress is evident in every home, every ward, and every local government area.”
Northern states to contribute N1 bn monthly to Regional Security Trust Fund
The Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) has approved the creation of a Regional Security Trust Fund to provide sustained financing for security operations across the North.
Each northern state would contribute N1 billion monthly, to be deducted at source under a framework to be finalised by all stakeholders.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of their meeting by the Chairman of the Forum and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya.
The communiqué said that the Trust Fund would strengthen security agencies, enhance intelligence gathering, support technology-driven policing and improve rapid response capacity across frontline communities.
According to the communiqué, the decision was one of the boldest collective actions taken by Northern leaders to decisively confront the deepening security challenges affecting the region.
The Forum expressed its deepest condolences to the governments and people of Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Niger, Sokoto, Jigawa and Kano states over the recent killings and mass abductions, and to the victims of renewed Boko Haram attacks in Borno and Yobe states.
The Forum also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the swift actions taken to secure the release of some abducted schoolchildren and for ongoing counter-insurgency efforts across the country.
Reaffirming their longstanding position, the governor of Gombe reiterated the full support of the Forum for the establishment of state police, urging federal and state legislators from the region to expedite all processes required for its actualisation.
The Forum also raised concerns over the rising role of illegal mining in fuelling insecurity and resolved to recommend to President Tinubu that the Minister of Solid Minerals suspend all mining exploration for six months.
They explained that this would allow for a comprehensive audit and revalidation of mining licences in close collaboration with state governments.
The northern governors and traditional rulers acknowledged the importance of unity, cooperation and shared responsibility in addressing the region’s complex challenges.
They pledged to continue working closely with security agencies, royal institutions and communities to restore peace and stability.