January 31, 2026
The Katsina State Government has announced plans to develop a digital platform, in the form of a mobile application, to support indigent students studying in tertiary institutions across Nigeria.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda disclosed this while receiving executive members of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), North-West Zone, who paid a courtesy visit to the Government House, Katsina, following their success at the recent NANS Zone “A” Convention in Jigawa State, where Katsina State emerged with two executive positions.
According to the governor, the proposed application will serve as a centralised platform for managing government-supported student programmes, including loans, scholarships, bursaries and other educational incentives.
Chief of Staff, Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir
Represented at the meeting by the Chief of Staff, Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir, Radda said the initiative aligns with his administration’s commitment to leveraging technology to enhance governance, transparency and service delivery, particularly in the education sector.
He explained that the platform would help the state build a comprehensive and reliable database of indigent Katsina students in tertiary institutions, especially beneficiaries of student loans and other government interventions.
The governor added that the application would also assist the government in identifying gaps and priority areas requiring additional support, subsidies or targeted interventions, particularly for students with outstanding academic performance.
Radda disclosed that the Office of the Special Assistant on Student Matters, in collaboration with the Katsina State Directorate of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), has been directed to commence development of the application to ensure timely deployment.
He commended the Special Assistant on Student Matters, Muhammad Nuhu Nagaske, for his efforts in advancing the welfare of Katsina students and assured him of the administration’s continued support.
The governor said Katsina State has continued to prioritise youth inclusion in governance, noting that young people are deliberately being given opportunities to participate in leadership, policy formulation and decision-making.
He also praised the late former President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the Not Too Young to Run Act, describing it as a landmark reform that expanded leadership opportunities for Nigerian youths.
Governor Radda congratulated the newly elected Secretary-General of NANS Zone “A” (North-West), Lawal Isah Federal, and the Director of Transport and Exchange, Murtala Yahuza, on their election victories, urging student leaders to objectively assess the performance of the state government, particularly in the education sector.
Earlier, a NANS stakeholder in Katsina State, Abba Sada, appealed to the state government to establish a permanent secretariat for the students’ union and provide essential facilities to enhance its operations.
He said a permanent secretariat would address the recurring challenge of frequent relocation of the union’s office whenever the position of secretary-general is occupied by a student from a different state.
The meeting was attended by representatives of various tertiary institutions within and outside Katsina State.
