By Our Reporter
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has highlighted major achievements recorded under his administration in the last three years, disclosing that the state’s monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) increased from ₦400 million to ₦3 billion through reforms driven by technology and transparency.
Speaking during activities marking the third anniversary of his administration’s Building Your Future agenda, Radda said the period offered an opportunity to account for his stewardship and assess progress made across critical sectors of the state’s economy.
“Precisely three years ago, I stood before the people of Katsina State with a bold promise to build our people’s future. Today, I am here to account for every day of those three years—not with words alone, but with structures you can see, services you can access, and results that independent organisations have verified,” the governor said.
He attributed the rise in internally generated revenue to the digitisation of government operations, including the establishment of the Katsina Directorate of Information and Communications Technology (KATDICT), the digitalisation of 118 ministries, departments and agencies, and the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
According to him, the administration has invested more than ₦120 billion in education, describing the sector as one of its most significant priorities.
Radda said the government constructed 170 junior secondary schools in communities that previously lacked such facilities, rehabilitated 300 schools, renovated 150 primary schools and established ICT and Computer-Based Test centres across the state.
He also highlighted the construction of model and smart secondary schools in the three senatorial zones of Katsina, Jikamshi and Dumurkul, equipped with robotics laboratories, artificial intelligence facilities, internet connectivity and 24-hour electricity.
The governor said scholarships had been provided for students studying abroad, while teachers’ welfare had been improved through prompt salary payments and professional development programmes implemented in collaboration with AGILE, BESDA and TESS projects.
In the health sector, Radda said the government upgraded primary healthcare centres, modernised major hospitals and established a 24-hour dialysis centre at General Amadi Rimi Hospital.
He added that an advanced imaging centre, which he described as the most sophisticated diagnostic facility in Northern Nigeria, would soon be commissioned in Katsina.
On security, the governor said his administration adopted a dual strategy combining security operations with community engagement, rehabilitation of repentant criminals and socio-economic interventions.
According to him, the approach has led to measurable progress in reducing banditry and kidnapping across the state.
“We are recording sustained progress in de-escalating violence across the state. There is more work to do, but the direction is clear and the results are real,” he said.
Radda also highlighted major infrastructure projects, including the completion of the 24-kilometre Eastern Bypass, rehabilitation of key township roads and installation of solar-powered streetlights in Katsina metropolis.
He said urban renewal projects were being implemented across all three senatorial zones to ensure equitable development.
In agriculture, the governor disclosed that the administration invested ₦2.5 billion in mechanised farming, established an Agricultural Mechanisation Centre and created 34 additional mechanisation centres at the local government level.
Through the Katsina State Sustainable Platform for Agriculture (KASPA), he said over 400 tractors, 10 combine harvesters and thousands of planters had been deployed to support farmers.
Radda further revealed that the state had embarked on a ₦19.89 billion renewable energy programme expected to deliver 20.1 megawatts of solar power and 10.1 megawatt-hours of battery storage.
He said critical institutions, hospitals, waterworks and universities had already been connected to reliable solar energy, while electric vehicle charging infrastructure and compressed natural gas (CNG) hybrid vehicles had also been introduced.
The governor cited an independent assessment by BudgIT-backed Tracka, which ranked Katsina first among 30 states in project delivery, with an 85.84 per cent completion rate.
According to the report, 89 out of 114 projects valued at ₦26.79 billion were fully completed, while 17 others remained ongoing.
“The ranking did not come from my office. It came from independent monitors, and I am proud of it because it means the people of Katsina are getting what they were promised,” he said.
Radda thanked residents of the state for their support and resilience over the past three years and pledged to sustain the momentum of development.
He maintained that his administration would continue implementing programmes and projects aimed at improving the welfare of citizens and fulfilling its campaign promises.
