Kaduna State took centre stage yesterday as it hosted the Nigeria graduation roundtable, a high-level convening aimed at sharing insights and charting a sustainable path for poverty alleviation through the innovative graduation approach.
Held at the Stonehedge Hotel in Kaduna, the event brought together key stakeholders including government officials, development partners, and technical experts under the theme: ‘Sharing lessons and charting the way forward.’ The roundtable was co-organised by Kaduna State Government, in partnership with Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) and BRAC – two global leaders in evidence-based development programming.
The gathering served as a platform to evaluate the progress of the Kaduna State Ultra-Poor Graduation Programme—a pioneering initiative designed to empower the poorest households through livelihoods support, savings, and social inclusion.
Opening remarks were delivered by Funmilayo Ayeni, Country Director of IPA Nigeria, and Bridget Aisien, Special Adviser on Social Investment Programmes. The programme overview was presented by Alh. Umar Sani Maikudi, Executive Secretary of the Kaduna State Social Investment Programme Agency (KADSIPA), highlighting achievements and lessons learned so far.
Goodwill messages were delivered on behalf of the Commissioner for Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), and the Director-General of the NGF Secretariat, who were all ably represented.
The keynote address was given by the Deputy Governor of Kaduna State, Dr. (Mrs) Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, who represented the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani.
In her remarks, Balarabe reaffirmed Kaduna State’s leadership role, emphasising the state’s commitment to innovative solutions to eradicate extreme poverty. Notably, Kaduna remains the first and only state in Nigeria and across Africa, to formally adopt and scale the graduation approach.
The roundtable concluded with a strong call for continued collaboration and investment in evidence-based poverty reduction models, positioning Kaduna as a beacon of innovation in social protection across the continent.