COOPERATIVE GOVERNANCE: HOW UBA SANI AND TINUBU’s ADMINISTRATION RESTORED TUDUN BIRI

By Liman Abdulaziz

In December 2023, Tudun Biri, a quiet agrarian community in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, became the setting of one of the most painful chapters in Nigeria’s recent history. An accidental military drone strike cut short innocent lives, injured many, and left families and an entire community traumatised. The tragedy was sudden and devastating, but its emotional aftermath lingered far longer; marked by grief, uncertainty, and a haunting question that often follows national tragedies: would the state remember?

Nearly two years later, that question has been answered with uncommon clarity. Tudun Biri today is no longer defined solely by loss. It has been rebuilt as a living testament to what is possible when governance is driven by empathy, responsibility, and resolve. The restoration of the community stands as a powerful example of cooperative federalism in action, shaped by the compassionate leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the determined, hands-on stewardship of Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani.

From the earliest hours after the incident, Governor Sani approached the crisis not as a political inconvenience, but as a moral obligation. Emergency medical care was mobilised for the injured, psychosocial support was extended to grieving families, and relief materials were coordinated in partnership with community leaders. Yet, even as these immediate steps were taken, the governor was clear-eyed about the scale of what lay ahead. Tudun Biri required far more than sympathy and temporary relief; it needed comprehensive rebuilding, economic restoration, and long-term reintegration.

Recognising that the task exceeded the financial and institutional capacity of a single state, Governor Sani took the matter directly to President Tinubu. What followed was a defining moment in the evolving response. The president listened, reflected, and acted decisively. At the federal level, the response matured from expressions of condolence into a structured, nationwide development intervention. Tudun Biri was adopted as the pilot community for the Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflicts (RSPIC), a framework designed to deliver durable recovery solutions to communities affected by conflict and humanitarian crises.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, who would later oversee the implementation of the scheme, described the philosophy behind it as one “anchored on a simple but powerful notion that governance must serve people, heal divisions, and strengthen the foundations of national stability.” Standing in Tudun Biri during the commissioning of the resettlement projects on Friday, January 30, 2026, the Vice President added that “fairness is the glue that holds a nation together, and compassion is not a weakness of the state, but its moral strength.”

Under RSPIC, the focus shifted decisively from short-term relief to long-term restoration. Modern residential homes were planned and constructed to replace those lost, accompanied by essential infrastructure designed to support safe, dignified, and sustainable living. 

According to the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mrs. Zubaida Umar, the original project design made provision for 143 housing units. However, she explained that “ten housing units were converted into a befitting school facility to meet the educational needs of the children within the settlement.” As a result, “the site now comprises 133 completed housing units, complemented by educational facilities that invest in the future of the community.”