The United Kingdom (UK) Government has commended Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani for implementing transformational reforms and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the state’s development agenda.

The UK Minister of State for International Development and Africa, Jenny Chapman, gave the commendation during a courtesy visit to Kaduna.

The visit formed part of her assessment tour to review the impact of UK-funded programmes being implemented through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in education, health, social protection, environment and agriculture.

Ms Chapman praised the governor for sustaining a productive partnership with the FCDO, noting that the collaboration contributed significantly to strengthening public institutions, improving accountability and promoting reform-oriented governance.

She also lauded Kaduna State’s progress in peace and security, describing it as a critical foundation for sustainable development and economic growth.

According to her, the UK Government remains committed to supporting Kaduna State, in line with its development priorities and will continue to deepen cooperation aimed at achieving inclusive and sustainable growth.

“We value our partnership with Kaduna State and recognise the progress recorded through reforms that have strengthened institutions and improved service delivery,” she said.

Responding, Mr Sani described the relationship between Kaduna State and the UK Government as strategic, consistent and result-driven.

He said the partnership had produced measurable outcomes that were nationally recognised and contributed significantly to the state’s reform agenda.

According to Mr Sani, sustained collaboration through programmes such as the State and Local Governance Programme (SLGP) and State Partnership for Accountability, Responsiveness and Capability (SPARC) positioned Kaduna as a model of sub-national reforms.

He further commended other programmes that included Supporting Active Voice for Impact (SAVI), Partnership for Education and Learning (PERL), and Partnership for Accountability and Civic Engagement (PACE).

“Kaduna State’s early adoption of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), which made it the second subnational government in Africa, to embrace the initiative, demonstrates its commitment to transparency,” he noted.

Mr Sani disclosed that the state had recorded more than a 500 per cent increase in internally generated revenue (IGR), attributing the growth to reforms in revenue administration, fiscal transparency and institutional capacity development.

He said many of the reforms were implemented with support from the FCDO and other development partners.

The governor expressed appreciation to the UK Government for sustained support and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening governance, expanding economic opportunities and improving the welfare of citizens.

The visit underscored the strong partnership between Kaduna State and the United Kingdom, anchored on shared goals of institutional strengthening, good governance and economic development. 

(NAN)