Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has been honoured with the Governor of the Year Award by Leadership Newspaper in recognition of what the organisers described as his exemplary and inclusive style of leadership.
The award was presented during a well-attended ceremony held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja, where political leaders, policy experts, media professionals and development stakeholders gathered to celebrate outstanding public service across Nigeria.
According to the organisers, the recognition reflects Governor Sani’s approach to governance, which promotes unity across religious and ethnic lines while ensuring that development projects are fairly distributed across the three senatorial zones of Kaduna State.
They noted that the administration has consistently prioritised equity by taking projects to communities that previously lacked basic infrastructure, thereby reducing long-standing development gaps between rural and urban areas.
Only a week before receiving the award, the governor commissioned several road projects across the state as part of efforts to improve transportation, security access, and economic activities.
In Zone One, the projects included the Durum-Kuruntumawa Road in Makarfi Local Government Area, the Magajiya-Albarkawa Road, and the Audi-Kako Road in Zaria. Residents in the affected communities said the roads would ease movement of farm produce to markets and reduce transportation costs.
In the Central Zone, Governor Sani commissioned the 35-kilometre Gwaraji (Igabi) to Maraban Kajuru Road. Officials described it as the longest road project undertaken in Kaduna State in the past two decades. The road is expected to significantly improve connectivity between communities and enhance security patrol access in previously difficult-to-reach areas.
In Zone Three, the governor also inaugurated the 32-kilometre Madauchi-Madakiya Road, which is expected to boost commercial activities and encourage agricultural investments in the southern part of the state.
Beyond road infrastructure, the administration has implemented major social development programmes. Several hospitals and primary healthcare centres have been remodelled and upgraded with modern equipment to improve service delivery, particularly in rural communities.
The government has also constructed new schools and additional classrooms to address overcrowding and improve learning conditions for students. Education officials say the projects are part of a broader strategy to increase school enrollment and reduce out-of-school children in the state.
In addition, empowerment programmes targeting youth and women have been rolled out, focusing on skills acquisition, small business support and job creation. Beneficiaries have reported improved livelihoods through grants, vocational training and startup assistance.
Leadership Newspaper stated that the award recognises the governor’s people-centred governance model and his commitment to spreading development projects across communities regardless of location, ethnicity or religious background.
Observers at the ceremony noted that the honour reflects growing attention on inclusive governance in Nigeria, where development is increasingly measured not only by large projects but by how well ordinary citizens feel the impact of government policies.
Governor Sani, while acknowledging the award, dedicated it to the people of Kaduna State and reiterated his commitment to delivering more infrastructure, social services and economic opportunities across the state.