The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has given Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State a Special Recognition Award for exemplary leadership and transformative governance, saying that it is anchored on youth empowerment, innovation and inclusive development.
The award was presented at the official opening of the PGF Quarterly Meeting of Commissioners for Youth and Sports in APC-Governed States, which was held at the Stonehedge Hotel in Kaduna.
The PGF Director-General, Folorunso Aluko, said, “The award highlights Governor Sani’s unwavering dedication to progressive values and measurable development across key sectors.”
The forum described Governor Sani as “a visionary, reform-minded, and people-driven leader whose tenure exemplifies the ideals of progressive governance.”
The PGF also praised his achievements in education, digital learning, industrialisation, agricultural modernisation, and health interventions, all driven by a data-informed and transparent approach to leadership.
According to the forum, the governor’s contributions to peace-building, unity, and economic inclusion are exemplary, with his investments in security, human capital development, and rural transformation being acknowledged as benchmarks for subnational governance in Nigeria.
The award was received by the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe.
Representing Governor Uba Sani, the Deputy Governor said that the meeting should be a platform for practical solutions and policy realignment, noting that “Kaduna is not only the host but a model of youth-focused, people-centred governance.”
The governor further disclosed that the Kaduna Youth Economic Empowerment Programme (K-YEEP) has supported over 6,000 startups in less than two years, adding that the Kaduna TechHUBs have trained young people in AI, cybersecurity, and robotics.
Governor Sani also said that his administration’s Grassroots Sports Acceleration Initiative and the renovation of 18 community sports centres show a commitment to youth development and national unity.
The governor commended the PGF Secretariat for strengthening state visibility and unity through innovative documentation tools such as the PGF Executive Briefs, Weekly Pulse in five languages, and development tracking initiatives.
He called on commissioners to move beyond policy discussions and begin measuring success through impact metrics, such as jobs created, businesses launched, sports medals won, and community solutions implemented.
In her remarks, Kaduna State Commissioner for Youth Development, Gloria Ibrahim, maintained that ”we gather not just for a meeting, but for a mission: to transform the narrative of youth development across our Progressive States.”
The commissioner further urged her colleagues to move beyond paperwork and make actionable commitments.
“Let us leave here with more than documents; let us forge actionable commitments. Commitments that ensure no young person’s potential is shackled by their postcode,” she said.
Ibrahim also called on the forum to adopt Kaduna’s innovative 70-20-10 Model in youth empowerment strategies, which advocates for 70 per cent practical skills, 20 per cent mentorship, and 10 per cent theory as the optimal development mix for impactful results.
