Katsina State Governor, and chairman of the north west Governor forum Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to human capital development as the foundation for sustainable growth and prosperity in Katsina State and Northern Nigeria.
Represented by the Deputy Governor, Hon Faruk Lawal, Governor Radda made this known on Tuesday while addressing participants at the Human Capital Development Summit for Northern Nigeria organized by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation at the NAF Conference Centre, Abuja.
Governor Radda emphasized that the future of Northern Nigeria depends largely on the development of its people through strategic investments in human capital.
“The North-West remains the most populous sub-region in Nigeria and possesses the largest share of Nigeria’s youth population. This is our greatest strength. However, we must confront challenges such as educational gaps, healthcare deficiencies, insecurity, displacement, and youth unemployment if we are to unlock the region’s full potential,” he stated.
The Governor stressed that no single state can address these challenges in isolation, noting that regional cooperation among North-West states remains critical to achieving sustainable development.
“Our states share borders, markets, cultures, and common challenges. Therefore, our response must be coordinated, regional in outlook, and focused on education, healthcare, skills acquisition, and job creation,” he said.
Rolling out Katsina State’s achievements under his “Building Your Future” agenda, he disclosed that the administration has constructed 152 new schools under the AGILE Programme while rehabilitating existing educational facilities across the state.
He further revealed that the government recruited 7,325 teachers in 2024, with an additional 2,000 teachers being processed for recruitment.
He added that three Teachers Training Centres would soon be established across the state’s three senatorial zones, while rural teachers now benefit from special allowances approved by the Governor.
“In our commitment to digital education, over 20,000 teachers have been equipped with tablets and trained in digital learning methodologies. We have also elevated vocational and technical education by upgrading the former department into a full Ministry of Higher, Vocational and Technical Education,” he noted.
On scholarship support, Governor disclosed that the state government is sponsoring students studying Medicine, Biotechnology, Artificial Intelligence, and other disciplines both locally and abroad, while also approving a 100 percent increase in local scholarship allowances.
He added that the administration has prioritized girl-child education and skills acquisition, with over 2,000 young women trained and empowered through the state’s Girls Skills Acquisition Centre.
On healthcare interventions, Radda stated that six Comprehensive Health Centres have been upgraded to General Hospitals, while over 260 Primary Healthcare Centres have been renovated and equipped to provide quality healthcare services.
“The government has expanded health insurance coverage for vulnerable residents, recruited over 1,800 healthcare workers, established a dialysis centre, upgraded major hospital facilities, and commenced the construction of an advanced diagnostic imaging centre,” he said.
The Governor also highlighted major agricultural investments undertaken by the administration, including the annual procurement and subsidized distribution of 400,000 bags of fertilizer to farmers across the 34 local government areas.
“We have commenced the dredging of dams, initiated the drilling of 3,000 boreholes, distributed improved seeds, revived mechanization centres, and procured 400 tractors, 10 combine harvesters, 4,000 power tillers, and 4,000 planters to boost agricultural productivity,” he stated.
He further disclosed that 361 youths are currently undergoing modern agricultural training at Songhai Farms and will each receive one million naira as start-up capital upon completion of their training.
On employment generation, Governor revealed that the Radda administration created 35,903 jobs within its first year in office through teacher recruitment, security engagements, religious services support, and community development initiatives.
He noted that the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA) has continued to strengthen entrepreneurship and support small businesses across the state.
“Through KASEDA’s interventions, over 5,000 SMEs have been supported, approximately ₦2.5 billion has been facilitated in financing, about 15,000 jobs have been created, and more than 200 training and capacity-building programmes have been conducted,” he said.
Addressing the issue of security, Governor stated that the establishment of the Community Watch Corps and the implementation of both kinetic and non-kinetic security strategies have significantly improved safety across many parts of the state.
“The return of peace to many communities demonstrates that our investments in security are yielding results. We remain committed to extending these gains to all affected areas,” he added.
The Governor concluded by calling for stronger partnerships among governments, development partners, and the private sector to accelerate human capital development across Northern Nigeria.
“Human capital is not built through speeches alone. It is built through functional schools, quality healthcare facilities, mechanized agriculture, productive jobs, and secure communities. Katsina State stands ready to collaborate with all stakeholders to transform our growing population into a productive and prosperous asset,” he said.
