Abuja, January 26, 2026
Katsina State Government and the Republic of Poland have agreed to deepen strategic cooperation across key sectors including agriculture, security, education, mining and investment, in a move aimed at boosting food security, job creation, technology transfer and economic diversification.
The understanding was reached during a high-level meeting between Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, and the Polish Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr. Michał Cygan, at the Polish Embassy in Abuja.
Governor Radda said Katsina was keen to move beyond diplomatic goodwill to concrete, private sector–driven and institutional partnerships that would deliver measurable economic outcomes for the state.
He described Katsina as a largely agrarian state, noting that more than 90 per cent of its population is engaged in agriculture and related value chains, mostly as smallholder farmers. According to him, the state has completed a comprehensive baseline survey of over 440,000 farmers, capturing data on land size and location to guide planning and targeted interventions.
While the state is investing in mechanisation and farm inputs, the governor said critical gaps remain in improved seed technology, post-harvest handling, storage and value addition, which he identified as major contributors to low productivity and high post-harvest losses.
“With improved seeds, modern processing and storage, and stronger value-chain development, yields can increase significantly while losses are drastically reduced,” Radda said, listing major crops cultivated in the state to include maize, millet, wheat, rice, groundnut, cotton, sesame, hibiscus and soybean.
On livestock development, the governor disclosed that Katsina is establishing a modern meat processing plant and adopting global best practices in feedlot and abattoir operations, following exposure to large-scale facilities abroad capable of processing up to 2,000 cattle daily.
He said the focus on agro-processing and value addition is central to the state’s strategy to revive its economy, create jobs, reduce poverty and strengthen food security.
In the solid minerals sector, Radda said Katsina has significant mineral deposits, supported by comprehensive geotechnical and geological surveys conducted by a German firm, Geoscan. He added that the state holds relevant mining licences and is ready to share detailed reports with prospective investors.
On security, the governor highlighted improvements recorded through the Community Watch Corps, a locally recruited and trained outfit that has enhanced intelligence gathering and community-based security responses. He said improved collaboration with conventional security agencies has led to a significant reduction in insecurity across the state.
Radda also said the state is preparing for future security reforms, including the evolving framework for state policing, with emphasis on modern equipment, drones, surveillance technology and rapid-response capabilities.
In education, the governor recalled existing scholarship partnerships with Egypt and China in fields such as medicine, artificial intelligence and biotechnology, and expressed readiness to establish similar arrangements with Polish universities through exchange programmes, joint research and staff capacity building.
He welcomed the proposal to set up a joint technical committee to identify priority areas, coordinate engagements and facilitate visits by investors, universities and technical institutions from both sides.
Earlier, Ambassador Cygan described the meeting as a clear shift from dialogue to action, commending the speed with which the engagement was arranged. He said Poland was ready to mobilise its investors, universities, security institutions and export agencies to support practical collaboration with Katsina.
The ambassador identified security and education as immediate priority areas and expressed interest in Nigeria’s evolving security architecture, including prospects for state policing. He also disclosed plans to organise a structured delegation of Polish and European investors and institutions to Katsina, as well as a business roundtable linking both sides.
He said Poland, with a diversified economy valued at over one trillion dollars, has strong capabilities in agriculture, security, energy, information technology, mining, railways, pharmaceuticals and defence equipment.
“The key outcome of today’s meeting is the establishment of practical cooperation mechanisms that will link our institutions, private sectors and people for mutually beneficial and sustainable development,” Cygan said.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Katsina State Government and the Polish Embassy.
