By Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed
Three years ago, when Malam Dikko Umaru Radda walked into Muhammadu Buhari House, Katsina, on 29 May 2023, he carried a simple but weighty promise: to build a future that every son and daughter of the state could be proud of. Today, the room he 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, Governor Radda has delivered.
Security: The First Foundation
No development agenda survives amid gunfire. Governor Radda understood this from day one. Katsina had become a theatre of sorrow – bandits terrorising communities, farmers abandoning their lands, families sleeping with one eye open.
The administration moved on two fronts simultaneously. Kinetic security operations pushed back criminal elements, while non-kinetic approaches – community engagement, rehabilitation of willing ex-criminals, and economic inclusion – addressed the root causes of crime. The results, while imperfect, are undeniable. Banditry and kidnapping have de-escalated considerably. Farmers have returned to their fields. Trade has resumed in communities once deserted.
Education: A Generation Rescued
If security is the foundation, education is the structure built upon it. Since 2023, the administration has committed no less than N120 billion to education. One hundred and seventy junior secondary schools have been constructed in underserved communities. Three hundred schools have been rehabilitated. One hundred and fifty primary schools have been renovated. ICT and computer-based test centres now serve both rural and urban areas.
The crown jewel, however, is the Model and Smart Secondary Schools, commissioned across all three senatorial zones – in Radda, Jikamshi, and Dumurkul. These schools feature robotics laboratories, artificial intelligence facilities, 24-hour electricity, and internet connectivity. Built exclusively for brilliant children from poor and rural homes, they have drawn admiration from European Union diplomats and international education observers.
Beyond infrastructure, the administration has funded overseas scholarships, increased student allowances, ensured prompt bursary payments, and consistently paid teachers on time.
Health: Where Lives Are Saved
Primary health centres across the state have been upgraded to general hospital standards. At General Amadi Rimi Hospital, the Katsina State Dialysis Centre now operates round the clock, seven days a week – a lifeline for hundreds of families who previously faced costly journeys out of state for treatment.
Operating theatres at General Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital, Turai Umar Yar’Adua Maternal and Children Hospital, and General Hospital Katsina have all been modernised. Nearing completion is the Imaging Centre – described by health experts as the most advanced diagnostic facility in Northern Nigeria.
Infrastructure: Roads, Lights and Renewal
The 24-kilometre Eastern Bypass has transformed movement around the state capital, easing traffic and opening economic corridors. The Kofar-Soro to Kofar-Guga road and other township roads now actively serve residents. Solar street lights have been deployed massively across the metropolis, deterring crime and restoring dignity. Urban renewal plans have been activated across all three senatorial zones, ensuring development is no longer a capital city affair.
Agriculture: Feeding a Nation
Governor Radda treated agriculture as an economic engine, committing N2.5 billion to the sector. A multi-million naira Agriculture Mechanisation Centre has empowered over 1,000 youths with mechanical and agribusiness skills. Thirty-four additional mechanisation centres were established across local government areas.
Through the Katsina State Sustainable Platform for Agriculture (KASPA), the administration has deployed over 400 tractors, 10 combine harvesters, and thousands of planters. Machinery was imported in parts and assembled locally – creating employment and building local mechanical skills. The Federal Government continues to recognise Katsina as a frontline contributor to national food security.
Powering the Future with the Sun
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 storage. Eleven critical public institutions – hospitals, waterworks, and universities – have been connected. One-megawatt solar installations 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.
Digital Governance: Revenue Up Sevenfold
When Governor Radda assumed office, the state generated N400 million monthly in internally generated revenue. Today, that figure stands at N3 billion per month. The engine behind this growth is the Katsina Directorate of Information and Communications Technology (KATDICT), established in 2023. The directorate has digitised 118 ministries, departments, and agencies, deployed digital public infrastructure, and implemented the Treasury Single Account – blocking leakages through which public money once disappeared.
The Verdict of Independent Eyes
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. No abandoned projects. In three years.
The Mission Continues
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. Dikko Radda is delivering where it matters.
Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Katsina.