2026 BUDGET: GOV. UBA SANI ALLOCATES ₦100M FOR EACH OF KADUNA’S 255 WARDS. (PHOTO).

 2026 Budget: Gov. Uba Sani Allocates  ₦100m For Each Of Kaduna’s 255 Wards

Kaduna State governor, Uba Sani, has announced that his administration has set aside ₦100 million for each of the state’s 255 political wards in the proposed 2026 budget.

Speaking during a special town hall meeting on the draft budget in Kaduna on Friday, the governor said the initiative was informed by citizens’ complaints and feedback gathered during last year’s town hall engagements, where communities highlighted major developmental gaps, especially in rural areas.

Sani revealed that by 2024, it became evident that 12 out of the state’s 23 local government areas had not received even a kilometre of road construction in 12 years. This, he said, necessitated a shift from a top-down budgeting system to a ward-based development model that focuses on community-driven priorities.

According to him, the ₦100 million allocation per ward will enable residents to identify and rank their most urgent needs, whether feeder roads, water projects, healthcare facilities, farm-to-market routes, security structures, or community economic programmes.

He stressed that decisions on how each ward’s allocation will be utilized will “no longer be taken by people on the high table,” noting that the funds belong to the communities and will be spent strictly according to their priorities through structured citizen participation.

Sani also pointed out that the same principle had already been applied at the state level. For instance, the water sector budget was increased from ₦10 million to ₦100 million following public calls for greater investment. He insisted that citizens must have a say in how every kobo is allocated.

The governor further explained that the administration’s renewed emphasis on rural development began after residents laid bare the extent of infrastructural neglect during consultations last year. This led to the launch of a large-scale road development programme now ongoing across all LGAs.

He highlighted several ongoing road projects, many already between 90% and 95% completed, including 24km inter-community routes, a 35km road in Sanga,y 22.5km in Soba, 24.7km in Zangon Kataf, and 14.2km in Igabi, among others. These, he said, align with the new ward-focusedy funding structure.

Town hall submissions also influenced health sector priorities, making Kaduna the only state in Nigeria to upgrade 255 primary healthcare centres from level 1 to level 2, earning recognition as having the best PHC system in the Northwest. He added that renovations and equipment upgrades in 16 general hospitals were similarly guided by ward needs, with nine already completed.

Major transport projects such as the planned BRT system and a 44km light rail line, Sani noted, will further strengthen ward-level economies byh improving mobility, boosting market access, and enhancing security coordination.

He reiterated that the guiding principles behindh the ₦100 million per ward allocation are fairness, justice, and equity, ensuring every ward benefits “regardless of who they voted for, where they come from, or their religious background.”

Stakeholders present at the meeting, including civil society groups, religious and traditional leaders, and youth representatives, commended Governor Sani for his inclusive budgeting approach and for the notable improvements recorded in Kaduna’s security sector.