Poverty Fueling Insecurity In Northern Nigeria, Says Uba Sani

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has said that poverty and economic exclusion are the root causes of insecurity in northern Nigeria, warning that unless they are addressed holistically, the region will continue to face unrest.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, the governor stated, “I came from the trenches. I fought successive governments in the past, during the military era. I went to detention a few times, fighting for justice and equality”.

Sani said his administration began with a data-driven focus on poverty and underdevelopment, drawing on his experience as a former chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking.

“When I came in as governor, what I did was to look at the poverty index, not only in the state but of the entire North. I was the chairman of the Committee on Banking. I had the data, the statistics from the Development Department of the Central Bank, from the SDG. I can tell you, sitting here, the poverty index as of 2023, when we came in, was alarming,” he explained.

According to him, more than 60 to 65 per cent of people in the northern region — especially in the North-West — were financially excluded when he assumed office. This, he said, made many young people vulnerable to recruitment by armed groups.

“This problem of insecurity, I can tell you, is largely an economic issue — poverty, unemployment. That is the reason why our people can easily be recruited by these bandits,” he said.

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State says poverty is fueling insecurity in Northern Nigeria, but believes better days are ahead for the country, especially economically.

Sani also disclosed that when he took over in Kaduna State, over 350,000 children were out of school.

“Today, we are addressing the problem gradually. Two months ago, I sat down with the Vice President of the World Bank. We looked at the UNICEF statistics. I can tell you — out of the 18.2 million out-of-school children today, the North is responsible for about 70% of that number.

“There are improvements in taking out-of-school children; the figure is different, and we are addressing the problem gradually,” he said.

The governor warned, however, that solving the crisis would require long-term commitment and realistic expectations. He reflected on years of policy neglect; Sani admitted the region failed to tackle the crisis earlier.

“Things are getting better, but nobody can tell you we can address this problem even in the next ten years — and I will tell you why. Because I’m a very realistic person.

“This problem didn’t start two years ago. It started many years back because we were docile. We did not approach the issue holistically. We had the opportunity to push in the past — but we didn’t do it,” he said.