KATSINA — Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, on Tuesday presented a proposed ₦828.64 billion 2027 Appropriation Bill to the State House of Assembly, with 77 per cent of the budget earmarked for capital projects.
Tagged “Building Your Future IV,” the proposed budget prioritises education, infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare and rural development, with the government saying the plan was designed to extend development interventions to communities across the state.
Of the total proposal, ₦637.91 billion, representing 76.98 per cent, is allocated to capital expenditure, while ₦190.73 billion, or 23.02 per cent, is earmarked for recurrent expenditure.
The 2027 proposal is ₦69.23 billion, or 7.71 per cent, lower than the approved 2026 budget.
Presenting the bill before lawmakers, Radda said the reduction followed a “pragmatic, disciplined and realistic” assessment of the state’s revenue and expenditure expectations.
He said the government reviewed available funding sources to ensure fiscal balance, strengthen implementation and minimise the risk of revenue shortfalls.
The governor said ministries, departments and agencies were also required to justify their expenditure proposals against the administration’s Building Your Future development blueprint, available resources and the needs of communities.
Radda described the proposed budget as the most participatory in the state’s history, saying its priorities were substantially shaped by the Citizens’ Budget Exercise conducted simultaneously across all 361 wards on July 18, 2026.
He said residents identified, assessed and ranked their priority needs, with the first-ranked project selected in each ward incorporated into the grassroots framework of the 2027 budget.
“Our people named their needs, weighed them and ranked them. The first priority project chosen by citizens in each ward now forms a clear, grassroots framework for the 2027 Fiscal Year,” he said.
According to him, each of the 361 wards would receive a special project chosen by its residents, while data generated from the exercise would also guide interventions in agriculture, MSMEs, water, sanitation and hygiene, women empowerment, environmental protection, climate change and security.
The Social Sector has the largest sectoral allocation of ₦317.73 billion, representing 38.34 per cent of the budget, followed by the Economic Sector with ₦303.17 billion, or 36.59 per cent.
The Administrative Sector is allocated ₦198.55 billion, while ₦9.19 billion is earmarked for Law and Justice.
Of the ₦637.91 billion capital provision, five priority sectors will receive a combined ₦325.45 billion, representing 51.02 per cent of the capital budget.
Basic and Higher Education receives ₦83.82 billion; Works and Housing, ₦71.60 billion; Agriculture and Livestock, ₦65.88 billion; Health, ₦53.64 billion; and Rural Development, ₦50.51 billion.
Radda said the allocations would support learning infrastructure and scholarships, road and housing projects, food security and livestock value chains, healthcare facilities and rural infrastructure.
The remaining ₦312.47 billion, representing 48.98 per cent of the capital budget, will be deployed to other sectors, including security and e-governance.
Reviewing the implementation of the 2026 budget up to August 28, Radda said the administration had recorded progress across education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, water, rural development and security.
He said recurrent revenue, including opening balance, stood at ₦267.47 billion, representing 44.16 per cent performance, while capital receipts reached ₦116.41 billion, representing 39.84 per cent.
Total recurrent and capital expenditure stood at ₦295.19 billion, representing 32.88 per cent overall budget expenditure performance.
Recurrent expenditure accounted for ₦102.17 billion, or 59.64 per cent performance, while capital expenditure reached ₦193.02 billion, representing 26.57 per cent of the approved capital provision.
The governor expressed optimism that implementation would accelerate during the remaining months of the year as ongoing projects reach completion.
Radda listed several education projects executed under the 2026 budget, including ₦13.03 billion for renovations and rehabilitation under the TESS Programme, ₦10.53 billion for secondary school renovation and construction under AGILE and ₦5.88 billion for primary school interventions in collaboration with UBEC.
The state also committed ₦3.55 billion to the construction and maintenance of three special model schools, with the model school in Radda already completed and academic activities commenced.
Another ₦2.07 billion was spent on SSCE examination fees covering WAEC, NECO, NABTEB and NBAIS in collaboration with local government councils, while ₦1.26 billion was allocated to scholarships for local and foreign students.
The governor said the interventions were contributing to the reduction of classroom congestion, improvement in the pupil-teacher ratio and increased school enrolment.
In healthcare, Radda said the state currently had 1,751 primary, secondary and tertiary health institutions, with more than 85 per cent functional.
He said ₦4.71 billion had been spent on the State Emergency Medical Service and Ambulance System Programme in 2026, alongside investments in hospitals, drugs and other health infrastructure.
The governor also disclosed that his administration had invested more than ₦9.59 billion since 2025 in equipping the Medical Imaging Centre at GARSH, Katsina, which he said would be converted into a world-class Cancer and Imaging Centre.
Agriculture also featured prominently in the 2026 interventions, with the state committing ₦21.43 billion to fertiliser procurement in conjunction with local government councils.
The government also spent ₦479.56 million on irrigation development, ₦441.26 million on improved seeds and ₦269.35 million on seed multiplication.
Radda said the interventions, combined with favourable agricultural conditions, were expected to result in a bumper harvest.
He added that ₦3.11 billion had been spent on rural access roads to facilitate the movement and marketing of agricultural produce.
On security, the governor said the administration continued to rely on a community-driven approach while increasing financial support for security operations.
He said the state spent ₦1.34 billion on the procurement and management of security assets and ₦6.16 billion on security allowances and operations, bringing security-related expenditure to more than ₦7.5 billion in 2026.
While acknowledging that challenges remained, Radda said sustained security operations had pushed criminal elements into isolated pockets, enabled some communities to return to normal life and allowed farmers in affected areas to return to their farms.
Despite the progress, the governor identified insecurity in frontline communities, inadequate staffing and learning materials, healthcare pressures, water and sanitation gaps and infrastructure deficits as continuing challenges.
He said malaria, child malnutrition, maternal health and water-borne diseases remained among the major healthcare concerns identified by communities.
Radda also noted continued pressure on potable water supply, with boreholes serving as the major source of water for many residents.
He said the government would continue investing in treated water facilities and distribution networks, including the Zobe Phase 1B Water Project, while pursuing its goal of making Katsina the first open-defecation-free state in Nigeria.
The governor commended the Speaker of the House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Nasir Yahaya Daura, and members of the legislature for what he described as a constructive partnership with the Executive.
He said the relationship between the two arms of government had contributed to the implementation of policies and programmes aimed at socioeconomic development.
Radda urged lawmakers to give the 2027 Appropriation Bill constructive consideration and pass it into law in good time.
He also acknowledged the contributions of the judiciary, traditional and religious institutions, security agencies, development partners and civil servants to the state’s development.
The governor paid tribute to security personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty, describing their sacrifices as acts of courage, patriotism and selfless service.
