By Abdullahi Lukman
The Kaduna State Government, in partnership with the NGO Partnership for Agile Governance and Climate Change Engagement (PACE), has commenced the mobilization of diverse stakeholders to adopt a “whole-of-society” approach to tackling climate change and governance challenges.
The initiative, supported by the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), aims to bring together government agencies, community groups, civil society, private sector, and citizens for collective action.
At a two-day technical workshop held on May 26, 2025, in Zaria, the Kaduna State Planning and Budget Commission (PBC) Commissioner, Mukhtar Ahmed, represented by Bashir Ladan, emphasized the importance of multi-stakeholder dialogue to identify governance blockages and improve service delivery.
The workshop focused on co-designing strategies to promote inclusive, transparent, and accountable governance that prioritizes community needs and sustainable progress.
Gloria Bulus, Executive Director of Bridge That Gap Initiative and PACE consortium partner, highlighted that the programme dedicates 30 percent of its focus to climate change and 70 percent to governance.
She stressed the need for robust governance structures to guide policy, coordinate interventions, manage budgets, and ensure accountability in public investments for climate mitigation and adaptation.
The PACE initiative builds on previous Kaduna governance programs such as PERL and SPARC, aiming to translate reforms into tangible improvements for the most vulnerable communities.
One of the stakeholders, Yusuf Goje of Civic Impact for Sustainable Development and Mubarak Abdulganiy, Civil Society Co-chair of Kaduna’s Open Government Partnership, underscored the critical role of strong governance and inclusive engagement in enhancing resilience and accountability.
The workshop united civil society organizations, private sector representatives, community leaders, persons with disabilities, women, and youth groups to develop holistic solutions addressing climate and governance issues in Kaduna State.
The success of the programme will be measured by its impact on improving governance and climate action outcomes for vulnerable populations.
