Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has inaugurated 34 Local Government Coordinators for the Renewed Hope Ward Development Programme, charging them to ensure effective implementation of the Federal Government’s grassroots economic support initiative across the state.
The inauguration ceremony, held at the Government House in Katsina on Monday, was attended by council chairmen, members of the State House of Assembly, Renewed Hope Ambassadors, party stakeholders, and other government officials.
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda
Governor Radda described the programme as a major intervention of the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, aimed at stimulating economic growth at the grassroots by supporting small and medium-scale enterprises.
He explained that the initiative was introduced to inject capital into small businesses, promote job creation, and strengthen rural economies. According to him, the programme is being coordinated nationally under a structure involving the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, with governors serving as zonal coordinators across the six geopolitical zones.
Radda disclosed that he is serving as the North-West Zonal Coordinator of the programme, a responsibility he said ensures proper direction and effective implementation within the region.
The governor noted that the initiative comprises both political and administrative components, stressing the need for synergy between the Renewed Hope Ambassadors and the Ward Development Programme coordinators.
“The Renewed Hope Ambassadors are responsible for mobilisation, while the Ward Development Programme delivers direct economic support. Both structures must work together because the success of one depends on the other,” he said.
He urged the newly appointed coordinators to collaborate closely with ambassadors in their respective local governments to identify beneficiaries and sustain engagement after disbursement of support.
Governor Radda expressed confidence in the capacity of the coordinators, many of whom he said he knows personally, but cautioned that they would be held accountable for the performance of their local governments.
The governor further revealed that each ward in the state is expected to register at least 1,000 beneficiaries under the programme, noting that Katsina must accelerate its registration process to avoid lagging behind other states.
He said the registration process has been simplified, with applicants required to possess National Identification Numbers and Bank Verification Numbers, and urged coordinators to intensify efforts to mobilise eligible residents.
State Coordinator of the programme and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir
Earlier, the State Coordinator of the programme and Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir, said the initiative was designed to reduce poverty, stimulate local economies, and provide direct support to low-income but economically active residents.
He disclosed that the programme targets between 1,000 and 2,000 beneficiaries per ward nationwide, with grants of ₦50,000 to be disbursed in three phases. The interventions, he added, would focus on agriculture, food processing, trading, and mining, with an estimated 10 million beneficiaries across the country.
Nasir explained that the implementation strategy involves identifying viable economic opportunities within each ward through collaboration among federal, state, and local authorities, while applications remain open to residents with valid NIN and BVN.
Also in attendance were the Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, Hon. Abdullahi Aliyu Turaji; former Deputy Governor of Katsina State and State Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Hon. Tukur Ahmed Jikamshi; Katsina State APC Chairman, Hon. Sani Aliyu Daura; and Chairman of the Katsina State APC Stakeholders, Hon. Salisu Mamman Kadandani.
