Breaking: Uba Sani Accelerates Renewed Commitments on Kuwait’s $62.8m Multi-Sector Development Support

By David Odama

Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, has boosted the drive for the $62.8 million Reaching Out-of-School Children (ROOSC) Programme and other development financing initiatives following a strategic meeting with the Director-General of the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED), Dr. Waleed Al-Bahar, in Kuwait City.

During the meeting, the Governor expressed appreciation on behalf of the government and people of Kaduna State, reiterating his administration’s dedication to strengthening the partnership that made Kaduna the first Nigerian state to benefit from KFAED interventions. The ROOSC programme—supported by KFAED, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), the Global Partnership for Education (GPE), Education Above All (EAA), and Save the Children International—stands as one of Nigeria’s most expansive education-recovery efforts, targeting over 100,000 out-of-school children and reaching more than 1.2 million learners across the state’s 23 LGAs.

Governor Sani provided updates on the progress made so far, noting the identification of 79,275 out-of-school children across 14 LGAs, the enrolment of 13,756 learners—exceeding the first-year goal of 10,000—and the training of 1,300 teachers. He also highlighted the distribution of over 35,000 learning kits and the ongoing rehabilitation of 170 schools, alongside the construction of 102 new ones.

He called for expedited release of the next tranche of funds to further accelerate the programme’s rollout, emphasizing that every timely intervention brings Kaduna closer to delivering secure, modern, and high-quality learning environments for thousands of children.

Beyond the education sector, the Governor presented Kaduna State’s additional priority areas for financial support. These include the solar-powered upgrading of 255–500 Primary Healthcare Centres, expansion of rural infrastructure—roads, electrification, water supply, and sanitation—and a comprehensive agricultural modernization plan involving mechanization, irrigation, climate-smart inputs, processing centres, and agribusiness initiatives for women and youth.

Dr. Al-Bahar commended Kaduna State’s transparency, reform-driven governance, and focus on inclusive growth. He welcomed the new proposals and reaffirmed KFAED’s interest in expanding support across health, agriculture, and infrastructure.

Other officials at the meeting included Thamer Alfailakawi, Director of Operations; Khaled Salah Al-Marzouq, Project Coordinator for West Africa; and Rawya Alawadhi, Project Engineer.

Both parties concluded with a strong resolve to fast-track ongoing interventions and deepen collaboration aimed at transforming the lives of millions of Kaduna residents.

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