Southern Kaduna promotes indigenous development model amid calls for educational and economic restoration

A new development push is gaining attention in southern Kaduna as stakeholders advocate for an indigenous model aimed at repositioning the region’s education system and strengthening its economic base through innovation, agriculture and mineral development.

The initiative, supported by the Safegate Rural and Community Development Foundation, proposes the creation of a Safegate University model designed to integrate academic learning with practical enterprise, particularly in the agriculture, mining and value chain processing sectors.

Project facilitators say the plan is anchored in the need to build a self-sustaining economic system in which natural resources are not just extracted but transformed locally into finished products ready for export.

Rev. Dr. Andrew Duya, who leads the initiative, said the proposed model seeks to replicate knowledge-driven global development systems in which higher education institutions serve as catalysts for economic transformation.

He cited examples of innovation-driven economies like Silicon Valley, noting that universities have played a central role in research and industrial growth that have shaped regional prosperity.

The Safegate initiative also revisits the historical role of missionary education in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna City and Zaria, highlighting that early educational expansion in the region was largely driven by faith-based institutions.

According to advocates, the absence of comparable indigenous educational infrastructure over time has contributed to development gaps that now require deliberate policies and community-led interventions to address.

While acknowledging existing regulatory constraints, including the National Universities Commission’s moratorium on new private universities, the group said it will explore alternative frameworks such as institutes, colleges and specialized training centers to advance its objectives.

The initiative also requires broad community participation, including financial contributions and stakeholder involvement, to ensure ownership and sustainability of the project.

Rev. Dr. Duya urged stakeholders to embrace what he described as a shift from conventional development thinking to a coordinated model that prioritizes education, skill acquisition and economic productivity.

He argued that the long-term goal is to reposition Southern Kaduna as a hub for knowledge production and resource-based industrial growth, driven by local capacity and innovation.