Office of the Chief Press Secretary Katsina State

SRRBDA's Ibrahim Dutsin-ma Salutes Governor Radda’s Three Years of Purposeful Governance



The Executive Director of Finance and Administration of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), Alhaji Abubakar Ibrahim Dandanku has added his voice to the growing chorus of commendation greeting the third anniversary of Katsina State Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, describing the administration's record as a convincing and well-documented delivery on the promises of the Building Your Future blueprint.

In a statement made available to newsmen, Alhaji Abubakar Dandanku said Governor Radda has done what many politicians rarely do — he came with a plan, stuck to it, and produced results that ordinary citizens can see and feel.

"Three years is enough time to judge a government. And by any honest assessment, Governor Radda has delivered. He told the people of Katsina what he would do, and he has done it. That alone sets him apart," Dandanku said.

The SRRBDA chief began his commendation where he believes the administration deserves the most credit — security. He noted that when Governor Radda assumed office, Katsina was in the grip of persistent banditry and kidnapping that had paralysed farming communities, disrupted schooling, and drained investor confidence from the State.

“Three years on, the administration's twin-track approach — combining firm security operations with community reconciliation and economic inclusion — has produced a tangible and sustained de-escalation of violence,” he stressed.

Turning to agriculture, Dandanku commended the Governor's decision to treat farming not as a political talking point but as the centrepiece of Katsina's economic strategy. From the construction of the Agriculture Mechanisation Centre that has empowered over 1,000 youths, to the deployment of more than 400 tractors and 10 combine harvesters through the Katsina State Sustainable Platform for Agriculture (KASPA), and the establishment of 34 local government-level mechanisation outposts, Dandanku said the administration has brought modern farming within reach of every Katsina farmer — regardless of their location.

On education, Dandanku described the administration's investment of over N120 billion in three years as historic — covering the construction of 170 junior secondary schools in underserved communities, rehabilitation of 300 schools, renovation of 150 primary schools, and the commissioning of Model and Smart Secondary Schools across all three senatorial zones. He noted that these schools — equipped with robotics laboratories, AI facilities, and digital learning tools — represent an investment whose full returns will be felt by Katsina for decades.

He equally applauded the administration's Urban Renewal Plans, which have distributed visible development across all three senatorial zones — ensuring that communities beyond the State capital are not left behind in Katsina's transformation.

"Development should not be a capital city privilege. Governor Radda has made sure of that," he added.

He described the Governor as the architect of a new Katsina — one whose foundations are being quietly and carefully laid today for a harvest that the State will reap fully in the next ten to fifteen years.

"Some leaders build for the next election. Governor Radda is building for the next generation. The Katsina we will see in 2035 or 2040 will bear his fingerprints," Dandanku said.

He wished Governor Radda continued strength, clarity of vision, and divine support as his administration pushes forward with the remaining work of the Building Your Future agenda.

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News Flash

Katsina Breaks 50-Year Jinx as Six Vocational Centres Earn National Recognition

The Management of the Katsina Youth Craft Village (KYCV) has announced the approval of six vocational centres, formerly known as Community Skills Development Centres (COSDEC), located in Katsina, Daura, Dutsin-Ma, Malumfashi, Mani, and Funtua.

The centres were established as follows: COSDEC Katsina (1972), COSDEC Funtua (1976), COSDEC Daura (1976), COSDEC Malumfashi (1982), COSDEC Dutsin-Ma (1982), and COSDEC Mani (1982). Some of these centres have existed for over fifty years before attaining this strategic national recognition.

In a press release signed by Engr. Kabir Abdullahi K/Soro, Coordinator of the Katsina Youth Craft Village (KYCV), the centres were confirmed to have received official recognition from the national body, marking a turning point for technical and vocational education in the state.

“Some of these centres have existed for over fifty years without attaining this strategic status and recognition,” the KYCV Coordinator noted.

“Central to this achievement, however, is the sustained political will and financial commitment of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, whose administration has placed youth empowerment and human capital development at the heart of its governance agenda. Despite the relative availability of equipment and manpower in the COSDEC centres over the years, the centres were unable to secure major interventions such as the TVET and IDEAS initiatives.

“Under the present administration, deliberate efforts and strategic support have repositioned the centres to attain the requirements and recognition of the National Skills Qualifications Framework (NSQF),” the statement read in part.

Engr. Kabir further explained that Governor Radda’s investment in modern tools, training facilities, and infrastructure demonstrates his strong belief in empowering young people with employable and entrepreneurial skills. He added that the Governor’s intervention was instrumental in repositioning the centres to fulfil their original mandate.

Engr. Kabir, whose leadership of KYCV has been marked by efforts that culminated in this long-overdue milestone, emphasized that Katsina youths will now gain access to nationally recognised skills certifications—a development expected to improve their competitiveness in both the formal job market and the entrepreneurial space.

“The approval is equally projected to elevate the overall standard of vocational training delivery across the state,” he stated.

The KYCV Management expressed deep appreciation to Governor Radda for what it described as his “visionary leadership, generosity, and dedication toward building a skilled and productive society.” The Management also acknowledged the contributions of technical partners, staff, and all stakeholders whose collective efforts made the achievement possible.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, KATSINA

PRESS RELEASE

Governor Radda Greets Ogun Governor on 66th Birthday

Katsina State Governor and Chairman of the Northwest Governors Forum, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has extended warm birthday felicitations to the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dr. Adedapo Oluseun Abiodun, on the occasion of his 66th birthday.

Governor Radda described Governor Abiodun as a statesman of substance — a leader whose years in office have spoken louder than his words, and whose footprints on Ogun State's landscape will outlast the celebrations of any single birthday.

The Katsina Governor paid particular tribute to the sweeping transformation that Governor Abiodun has driven across Ogun State — a transformation that has touched virtually every sector of public life and repositioned the State as one of Nigeria's most dynamic engines of growth.

"What Governor Abiodun has built in Ogun State is not the work of a man going through the motions of governance. It is the work of a man with a plan, a vision, and the discipline to see it through," Radda said.

He noted that under Governor Abiodun's watch, Ogun State has recorded remarkable strides in roads and transportation infrastructure, logistics, manufacturing, and agriculture — building an economy that is diverse, competitive, and increasingly attractive to local and foreign investors.

Governor Radda equally commended Abiodun's investments in power, technology, security, tourism, education, and healthcare — describing the breadth of his development agenda as a model of what focused, people-centred governance can produce.

The Northwest Governors Forum Chairman also commended Governor Abiodun's commitment to institutional reform and human capital development — investments that, in his words, "build not just a better Ogun State today, but a stronger one for the generations that are coming."

Governor Radda, on behalf of the government and the people of Katsina State, prayed for continued good health, wisdom, and strength for Governor Abiodun, expressing confidence that the best of his leadership is still ahead.

Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Katsina State

29 May, 2026

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL:

THREE YEARS ON:

Dikko Radda Delivering Where It Matters (Part 1)

By: Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed

“A man is not judged by the loudness of his entry, but by what he leaves behind when he walks out of the room,”—so I borrowed a leave from an ancient wisdom. Then, when Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, walked into the popular Muhammadu Buhari House, Katsina, on May 29, 2023, he came with a simple but weighty promise — to build the future of Katsina's people. To build a Katsina where every sons and daughters of the state can be proud of. Three years later, the room Dikko Radda has been working in tells its own story. Delivering where it matters means doing the difficult thing in the right place, for the right people, at the right time. By that measure, Dikko Radda has been delivering.

Security: the First Foundation

No building stands without a foundation, and no development agenda survives in the middle of gunfire. Governor Radda took this lesson from day one. Katsina, for years, had been a theatre of sorrow. Bandits terrorising communities, farmers abandoning their lands, families sleeping with one eye open or no sleep at all. It was a State that needed healing before it could be built.

The administration moved on two fronts simultaneously. On one side, kinetic security operations pushed back criminal elements with force. On the other, non-kinetic approaches — community engagement, rehabilitation of willing ex-criminals, and economic inclusion — addressed the conditions that made crime attractive in the first place. The results, while not yet perfect, are undeniable. Banditry and kidnapping have de-escalated considerably. Farmers had returned to their fields. Trade is taking place in some communities already deserted. That alone created the atmosphere in which every other achievement on this list became possible.

Education:A Generation Rescued

If security is the foundation, education is the structure built upon it. And on this front, Governor Radda has not just built — he has rebuilt, expanded, and reimagined what education in Katsina looks like.

Since 2023, the administration has committed not less than N120 billion to education. A figure staggering not just in size but in what it has produced on the ground. One hundred and seventy junior secondary schools have been constructed in underserved communities where children previously had nowhere to go after primary school. Three hundred schools have been rehabilitated. One hundred and fifty primary schools have been renovated. ICT and Computer-Based Test centres have been established in both rural and urban areas — because the administration believes that a child in a remote village deserves to know what a keyboard feels like.

But the crown jewel of this educational revolution is the Model and Smart Secondary Schools, commissioned across all three senatorial zones — in Radda, Jikamshi, and Dumurkul. These are not ordinary schools. They carry robotics laboratories, artificial intelligence facilities, 24-hour electricity, and internet connectivity. They were built exclusively for brilliant children from poor and rural homes — children whose only sin was being born without privilege. The schools have drawn admiration from European Union diplomats and international education observers. They represent what happens when a government dares to dream big for its most vulnerable.

Beyond bricks and mortar, the administration has sent students abroad on government scholarships, increased student allowances, ensured prompt payment of bursary allocations, and consistently paid teachers on time — because a teacher who is worried about school fees cannot focus on teaching your child. Development partnerships with AGILE, BESDA, and TESS have reinforced the emphasis on STEM education, digital literacy, and skills development, ensuring that Katsina's children are not just educated — they are prepared.

Health: Where Lives are Literally Saved

There is nothing more personal than health. When a hospital has no equipment, it is not a statistic — it is a mother who lost a child, a man who died of a treatable condition, a family broken by something that should have been fixable. Governor Radda approached the health sector with the most humane understanding.

Primary health centres across the State have been massively rehabilitated and upgraded to General Hospital standards — closing the yawning gap between what rural communities were getting and what they deserve. At General Amadi Rimi Hospital, the Katsina State Dialysis Centre now runs around the clock, seven days a week, serving patients who previously had to make the long and expensive journey out of State for kidney dialysis. That centre is not a ribbon-cutting photo opportunity. It is a lifeline for hundreds of families.

The operating theatres of the State's flagship specialist hospitals — General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital (GARSH), Turai Umar Yar'Adua Maternal, and Children Hospital (TUTMCH), and General Hospital Katsina— have all been upgraded with modern equipment and improved facilities. Advanced medical equipment has been procured to enhance service delivery at every level of care.

And nearing completion is the Imaging Centre— described by health experts as the most advanced diagnostic facility in Northern Nigeria. When it opens, Katsina's people will have access to world-class medical diagnostics without leaving their State. That is what delivering where it matters looks like in the health sector.

Infrastructure: Roads, Lights and Urban Renewal

A government's commitment to its people is written on its roads. Katsina's roads, under this administration, are telling a fascinating story. The 24-kilometre Eastern Bypass has transformed movement in and around the State capital, easing traffic and opening new economic corridors. The Kofar-Soro to Kofar-Guga road and other township roads are actively serving residents, reducing the daily frustrations of commuting in a growing city.

Across the metropolis, solar street lights have been deployed massively — brightening communities, deterring crime, and restoring dignity to neighbourhoods that had learned to dread the night. Beyond the capital, Urban Renewal Plans have been activated across all three senatorial zones — channelling development to communities that governance had historically ignored. Under this administration, development is not a capital city affair. It is a statewide obligation.

Agriculture: Feeding a Nation, Training a Generation

Katsina has always fed Nigeria. What this administration has done is give that calling the respect and investment it deserves. From the outset, Governor Radda treated agriculture not as a traditional pastime but as an economic engine — and committed N2.5 billion to back that conviction.

A multi-million naira Katsina State Agriculture Mechanisation Centre was built and commissioned, empowering over 1,000 youths with mechanical and agribusiness skills that will outlast any political term. Thirty-four additional mechanisation centres were established across local government areas, ensuring that no farmer in Katsina is too far from support and modern equipment.

Through the Katsina State Sustainable Platform for Agriculture (KASPA), the administration has deployed over 400 tractors, 10 combine harvesters, and thousands of planters. In a move that was as smart as it was strategic, the machinery was not simply purchased whole and handed out. It was imported in parts and assembled locally at the Central Mechanisation Hub in Tashar Bala, Batagarawa— creating employment, building mechanical skills among local youth, and establishing an in-house repair team that ensures the investment remains functional long after the commissioning ceremony.

Dry season farming, wet season farming, farm input distribution — the administration has intervened at every point in the agricultural calendar. The Federal Government has continued to recognise Katsina as a frontline contributor to national food security. That recognition is no longer just historical. It is being earned again, season by season, under this administration.

Powering the Future with the Sun

In a country where power supply remains a chronic national headache, Katsina has chosen not to wait. The administration launched a N19.89 billion renewable energy programme delivering 20.1 megawatts peak of Solar PV capacity and 10.1 megawatt-hours of Battery Energy Storage Systems— clean, reliable power built to last.

Eleven critical public institutions — hospitals, waterworks, and universities — have been connected to this solar infrastructure, ensuring that the lights stay on where they matter most. Solar installations of 1 megawatt each have been deployed at the Danja, Ajiwa, Zobe, and Funtua dams. The State has also deployed 50 Compressed Natural Gas hybrid vehicles and established an electric vehicle charging hub with 100 charging points — a quiet but significant signal that Katsina is thinking about the energy future, not just the energy present.

Digital Governance: How Katsina Grew Its Revenue Sevenfold

Numbers do not lie — and the numbers coming out of Katsina's treasury are among the most compelling evidence of this administration's effectiveness. When Governor Radda assumed office, the State was reportedly generating N400 million monthly in internally generated revenue. Today, that figure stands at N3 billion per month. That is not inflation. That is transformation.

The engine behind this growth is the Katsina Directorate of Information and Communications Technology (KATDICT)— established in 2023. Through KATDICT, the administration has digitised 118 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, deployed digital public infrastructure across government, and implemented the Treasury Single Account— blocking the leakages through which public money historically disappeared before reaching public purposes.

The result is a government that is leaner, more transparent, and significantly more productive. When you close the holes in a bucket, the water level rises. Katsina's IGR is proof of that simple truth.

The Verdict of Independent Eyes

Governments are naturally inclined to praise themselves. Which is precisely why the most significant endorsement of the Radda administration's record did not come from Government House. It came from BudgIT— one of Nigeria's most respected independent civic organisations.

A BudgIT-backed Tracka report on project delivery across 30 Nigerian states placed Katsina first with an 85.84 per cent project completion rate in the federal capital budget cycle. Of 114 projects worth N26.79 billion reviewed, 89 were fully completed and 17 remain ongoing. Not a single project was abandoned.

First place. Out of thirty states. With no abandoned projects. In three years.

That is the kind of report card that requires no spin and needs no press secretary to explain. It speaks — clearly, completely, and on its own.

Dikko Radda and His Mission

Delivering where it matters is not a slogan. It is a choice — made every morning when a governor decides whether to spend public resources on the visible or the vital, the glamorous or the genuine, the project that photographs well or the one that saves lives.

For three years, Dikko Radda has consistently chosen the people. Not always the loudest choice. Not always the most celebrated. But always the right one — in the hospitals that now run through the night, in the schools that now reach the rural child, in the farms that now have tractors, in the streets that now have light, and in a treasury that now has money because someone finally decided to manage it with discipline and technology.

Three years on, the foundation is solid. The structure is rising. And Katsina — once bruised, now building — is beginning to look very much like its future. Indeed, Dikko Radda is delivering where it matters.

Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Katsina.

Photo News:

In keeping with a cherished annual tradition of royal homage, Katsina State Deputy Governor, Malam Faruk Lawal Jobe receives the Emir of Katsina, HRH Alhaji (Dr) Abdulmumini Kabir Usman as he leads District Heads to Government House, Katsina, for the Hawan Bariki ceremony on Thursday.

The traditional rulers were received by the Deputy Governor Malam Faruk Lawal Jobe; who stood in for Governor Dikko Radda; the Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir ; Secretary to the State Government, Barrister Abdullahi Garba Faskari,Principal Private Secretary, Hon. Abdullahi Aliyu Turaji and Special.Adviser Emirate Affairs, Alhaji Usman Abba Jaye,

Other dignitaries at the annual celebration are Katsina State First Lady Hajiya Zulaihat Dikko Radda ,senior government officials and foreign tourists were on hand to watch the royal festival .

Photo News:

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, today visited Katsina pilgrims in Mina, Saudi Arabia, to show his support and care.

During his visit, he encouraged the pilgrims to pray fervently for the country unity and peace. The Governor also assured them of the state's commitment to their wellbeing.

Governor Radda had already paid for the Hadaya for all 2,035 pilgrims from Katsina. He also approved a special sallah gift of 300 Riyals to help support the pilgrims during the Eid celebration. This shows his dedication to making sure the pilgrims are well cared for during this important time.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE, KATSINA

PRESS RELEASE

3-YEAR OF BUILDING YOUR FUTURE: Governor Radda Rolls Out Major Milestones

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has recounted notable milestones the administration Building Your Future agenda had recorded since assuming office.

The Governor described the 3rd year anniversary as moment to reflect on the journey in the past years while also sustain the momentum of development across the nooks and crannies of Katsina State.

“Precisely three years ago, I stood before the people of Katsina State with a bold promise to build our people’s future. But 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,” said Governor Radda.

The Governor explained that education sector formed one of the cardinal areas the administration has invested the most — and where we believe our impact will last the longest, adding that the administration has spent over N120 billion on education in Katsina State.

"We constructed 170 junior secondary schools in communities that previously had none. We rehabilitated 300 schools and renovated 150 primary schools. We established ICT and Computer-Based Test centres in both rural and urban communities, because a child in the village deserves the same digital access as a child in the city,” Governor Radda stressed.

He added, “We built and commissioned Model and Smart Secondary Schools across all three senatorial zones — in Radda, Jikamshi, and Dumurkul. These schools have robotics laboratories, artificial intelligence facilities, 24-hour electricity, and internet access. And they are built exclusively for children from poor and rural backgrounds — children who, without this intervention, would never have seen the inside of such a facility.”

The Governor continued, noting that the Building Your Future administration had sponsored students on scholarships to study abroad, increased student allowances and paid bursary allocations promptly. We paid our teachers on time, improved their welfare, and invested in their professional development through partnerships with AGILE, BESDA, and TESS.

On healthcare interventions, Governor Radda asserted that a government that neglects the health of its people has no business calling itself a government.

"Across the State, we massively rehabilitated and upgraded primary health centres to General Hospital standards — because primary healthcare should not mean inferior care. At General Amali Hospital, our Dialysis Centre now runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, serving patients who previously had no choice but to travel out of State for treatment,” the governor disclosed.

"We upgraded the operating theatres of our major specialist hospitals — the General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital, the Turai Umar Yar'Adua Maternal and Children Hospital, and General Hospital Katsina. We purchased advanced equipment to improve the quality of services our doctors and nurses deliver every day.

"And very soon, we will commission our Imaging Centre. The most advanced diagnostic facility in Northern Nigeria — right here in Katsina. No longer will our people travel to Abuja or Lagos for scans and diagnostics,” said Governor Radda.

On security, the Governor recalled that upon assumption office, banditry and kidnapping were bleeding the State.

"We made a deliberate decision to tackle this problem from two directions — through strong security operations and through engaging communities, rehabilitating willing former criminals, and addressing the poverty that feeds crime. Today, we are recording measurable and 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 declared.

Speaking on infrastructure development, Governor Radda noted that the 24-kilometre Eastern Bypass is open and functional. The Kofar-Soro to Kofar-Guga road and other township roads are serving the people of Katsina.

“We lit up Katsina metropolis with solar street lights because security and dignity require that our streets are visible at night. We have also launched Urban Renewal Plans across all three senatorial zones, ensuring that the development you see in the capital is not limited to the capital. Every zone of this State deserves to feel the presence of government.

Addressing milestone in agriculture, the governor noted that Katsina has always been an agricultural State, saying the administration has simply decided to treat that identity as an economic strategy rather than a cultural footnote.

"We invested N2.5 billion to modernise farming and boost mechanised agriculture. We built a multi-million naira Agriculture Mechanisation Centre that has empowered over 1,000 youths with skills and opportunities. We established 34 additional mechanisation centres at the local government level so that no farmer is too far from support.

"Through the Katsina State Sustainable Platform for Agriculture (KASPA), we have deployed over 400 tractors, 10 combine harvesters, and thousands of planters across the State. We assembled much of this machinery locally at our Central Mechanisation Hub in Tashar Bala, Batagarawa— creating jobs, training young mechanics, and building a repair team that sustains the equipment we have invested in.

"The Federal Government has continued to recognise Katsina as a major contributor to national food security. That recognition, under this administration, is backed by investment and results."

As the world embrace sustain energy solution, Governor Radda revealed that the administration launched a N19.89 billion renewable energy programme that is delivering 20.1 megawatts of solar power capacity and 10.1 megawatt-hours of battery storage across the State. Eleven critical public institutions, hospitals, waterworks, and universities have been connected to reliable solar power.

"We installed 1-megawatt solar systems at the Danja, Ajiwa, Zobe, and Funtua dams. We deployed 50 CNG hybrid vehicle for public use and established an electric vehicle charging hub with 100 charging points. Katsina is not waiting for the national grid to improve. We are building our own energy future."

Governor Radda further pointed out the establishment of Katsina Directorate of Information and Communications Technology (KATDICT). Through it we digitised 118 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, deployed digital public infrastructure, and implemented the Treasury Single Account.

"The result is a fact that speaks for itself. When we came into office, Katsina was generating N400 million monthly in internally generated revenue. Today, we generate N3 billion every month. That is not luck. That is the result of transparent, technology-driven governance."

Furthermore, the Governor acknowledged, “A BudgIT-backed Tracka reportranked Katsina first among 30 states in project delivery, with an 85.84 per cent completion rate. Of 114 projects worth N26.79 billion reviewed, 89 were fully completed and 17 are ongoing. Not one was abandoned.”

He said, “The ranking did not come from my office. It came from independent monitors. And I am proud of it — not for myself, but because it means the people of Katsina are getting what they were promised.

The Governor, however, asserted that the milestones are inexhaustible and the administration will not rest until it reaches the peak of her promises. He also commender citizens for their resilience and support through the thick and thin of the administration.

Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Katsina State

29 May, 2026