Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has underscored the vast economic potential of the North-West geopolitical zone, saying the region can become a hub for agricultural productivity, agro-processing, commerce, and skilled labour through coordinated development efforts.

Speaking at the North-West Stakeholders Development Summit in Kaduna on Saturday, the governor urged participants to move beyond problem analysis and focus on practical solutions.
“Our people are not short of reports; they are short of results,” Sani said, calling for actionable roadmaps with clear timelines and measurable outcomes.
He advised the summit to identify areas for immediate collaboration, clearly define the roles of federal, regional, and state actors, and establish mechanisms for accountability and continuous learning.

The summit, organised by the Joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on the North-West Development Commission, had the theme “Advancing a Coordinated Regional Development Agenda for North-West Nigeria.”
Governor Sani lamented that development planning in the region had long been pursued in isolation, despite the shared nature of its challenges.
“Insecurity does not recognise state boundaries. Educational deficits in one state weaken labour markets in another, while economic shocks in a commercial hub reverberate across surrounding communities,” he said.

According to him, Kaduna State’s experience shows that development progresses faster when institutions collaborate and policies are driven by evidence and inclusion.
“This is why we see the North-West Development Commission not as a competitor to state governments, but as a strategic partner — one that can harmonise priorities, reduce duplication, and unlock economies of scale that individual states cannot achieve on their own,” Sani explained.
He stressed that human capital development must be central to the commission’s agenda.

“Education must align with the needs of a modern economy. Skills acquisition must lead to real jobs and enterprise. Agriculture must move beyond subsistence to value-added agribusiness, while industrialisation must be anchored on practical linkages between infrastructure, finance, and markets,” the governor said.
Describing the people of the North-West as the region’s greatest asset, Sani noted that the zone has one of the youngest populations in the country.

“This demographic reality demands deliberate investment in education, skills, and productive opportunities to turn our youthful population into a demographic dividend,” he said, warning that failure to act could worsen unemployment, frustration, and social instability.
The governor commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for establishing the North-West Development Commission, noting that persistent regional disparities cannot be resolved through fragmented, centrally driven interventions.

He said the commission was designed as a vehicle for structural transformation capable of addressing deficits in infrastructure, economic opportunity, education, healthcare, and skills development in a coordinated and sustainable manner.
“The success of the North-West Development Commission will not belong to any single administration or institution,” Sani said. “It will belong to the millions of citizens whose lives it improves.”