Disquiet in Katsina Over N155bn Agro-housing Scheme
Francis Sardauna writes that a proposal to build 3,750 housing units in Radda and Kankia, under a public–private partnership between the Katsina State Government and COSMOS Residential City Nigeria Limited, has triggered controversy across the state
The proposed construction of 3,750 housing units in Charanchi and Kankia Local Government Areas of Katsina State has sparked public debate, with critics questioning the project’s location, funding structure and perceived political undertones.
The housing initiative, unveiled through a public–private partnership (PPP) involving the Katsina State Government and COSMOS Residential City Nigeria Limited, is designed as an aqua-agro residential scheme.
Under the housing project, beneficiaries are expected to receive houses alongside training and support in agriculture-related activities such as fish farming and vegetable cultivation, with pathways to eventual home ownership.
Officially, the project involves the construction of 2,500 housing units in Kankia Local Government Area and 1,250 units in Radda, a community in Charanchi Local Government Area, totalling 3,750 under an innovative agro-residential model valued at N155 billion.
With a completion period of 16 months to two years, the housing project will combine modern housing units with backyard fish farming and vegetable gardens in every home, creating sustainable livelihoods for beneficiaries.
The prospective beneficiaries, who will be selected across the 34 local government areas, are expected to earn N200,000 monthly, with compulsory savings of between N50,000 and N70,000 to gradually offset investors’ costs, after which the houses and farms will become their personal property within a period of three to five years.
Controversy over Allocation and Political Undertones
However, the project has attracted controversy largely because Radda is the hometown of Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, while Kankia is linked to the Federal Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Musa Dangiwa.
Pundits, civil society organisations and opposition circles argue that the choice of locations suggests favouritism and raises questions about equity in the distribution of development projects and economic empowerment across the state.
For pundits, situating a major housing development in the governor’s community, no matter how well-intentioned, creates an optics problem in a state with 34 local government areas, many of which face severe infrastructure deficits and security challenges.
They argued that constructing 1,250 housing units in a “small town” like Radda has fed into a familiar Nigerian narrative that power attracts projects. They further opined that Governor Radda has taken juicy projects, including the Special Model Smart School, to his ancestral home.
Even though Kankia, the second project site where 2,500 housing units would be built, dilutes this perception to some extent, the symbolism of Radda has proven difficult to ignore because of what the pundits termed the frequent award of contracts to the community by the governor.
Funding Concerns and Government Response
Furthermore, there are claims across the board that the 3,750 housing units project would cost the state government N155 billion and thousands of hectares of land, prompting concerns over fiscal responsibility at a time of economic hardship and security challenges that have rendered thousands of Katsina citizens homeless.
But the state government has countered these claims, clarifying that the N155 billion represents the total projected investment by COSMOS Residential City Nigeria Limited, not a budgetary allocation by the Governor Radda-led APC administration.
Refuting the claims at a press conference in Katsina, the state’s Head of Service, Alhaji Falalu Bawale, said the project is not funded by state coffers, insisting that it is a privately financed initiative in which the state’s role is limited to land provision, facilitation and policy support.
Describing such reports as misleading and inaccurate, Bawale explained that the project will not cost the state government “any kobo”, adding, however, that the project would be extended to Funtua and Daura senatorial districts of the state.
He clarified that the locations of the project were proposed by the private developer based on land availability, agricultural suitability and logistical considerations, not political favouritism.
He further disclosed that the beneficiaries of the housing project would be drawn from all the 34 local government areas of the state and would be trained in modern agriculture and aquaculture techniques.
Bawale said, “We have seen recently some comments indicating that the Katsina State Government is about to spend some billions of naira to construct 3,750 houses. It is not true. The arrangement is not a construction contract and it does not require the state government to spend a kobo.”
“The investors are coming with a proposal to develop housing and agriculture simultaneously, train participants, pay them monthly salaries, and recoup their investment through the sale of agricultural produce.”
Persistent Public Scepticism
Despite clarifications and assurances from the state government on the first-of-its-kind agro-housing project in Katsina, public scepticism remains, fuelled by past experiences with large housing projects that failed to meet expectations.
For instance, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations in the state has rejected the selection of Radda and Kankia for the construction of the 3,750 housing units, describing the choice of the two areas as unjustifiable and potentially wasteful.
Civil Society Pushback
In an exclusive interview with THISDAY, the Chairman of the Coalition, AbdulRahman Abdullahi, said no clear justification had been provided by the government for concentrating such a massive investment in only two communities.
Describing Katsina as an agrarian state, Abdullahi questioned the rationale behind siting 1,250 houses in Radda and 2,500 in Kankia, asking who would eventually occupy the houses.
“How many people in Radda and Kankia are without houses? How many of them are farmers who truly need this kind of intervention?” he asked, warning that poor planning could result in abandoned or underutilised structures.
He further cautioned that the project could repeat past mistakes, citing the housing estates initiated and implemented during the administration of former Governor Ibrahim Shema, popularly known as “Shema Quarters”.
“In some local governments, those houses were poorly located due to sentiment and selfish interests. In places like Zakka, Danmusa and Yantumaki, many of the houses are now dilapidated, unoccupied, with roofs blown off and walls cracked because the projects were not sited appropriately,” he recalled.
Calls for Equitable Distribution
He argued that the N155 billion earmarked for the 3,750 housing units project could have a wider impact if evenly distributed across the 34 local government areas of the state.
“If you divide N155 billion by the 34 local government areas, each local government would benefit to the tune of about N4.5 billion. Similarly, if the 3,750 houses are shared among the 34 LGAs, each would get at least 110 housing units. That way, more people would benefit from the project.
“This investment is too huge to be restricted to Radda and Kankia alone. The government should rethink the approach and ensure the project is implemented across the 34 local government areas to avoid repeating past failures,” he added.
Abdullahi stressed that large-scale housing projects have multiplier effects and should therefore be planned in a way that ensures equitable distribution and maximum benefit to residents across the state.
According to him, the criteria for selecting Radda and Kankia remain unclear, whether in terms of population size, agricultural relevance or security considerations.
“We have not seen any justification for the selection of these communities — in terms of population, farming activities or even insecurity. If the idea is to address insecurity or resettle displaced persons, how does concentrating the project in only two communities achieve that?” he queried.
Support, Doubts and Unanswered Questions
Meanwhile, supporters of the project argue that the integrated housing-agriculture model is precisely the kind of innovation northern states like Katsina need to tackle poverty, unemployment, boost food production and discourage rural–urban migration.
But as the debate continues, observers say the controversy underscores broader national concerns over transparency in public–private partnerships and the need to balance development initiatives with public trust.
They question whether the project’s design aligns with on-the-ground realities and whether the projected monthly incomes from small-scale agriculture are realistic, how beneficiaries will cope with market fluctuations and climate risks, and what happens if the model fails to deliver promised returns.
There are also concerns about beneficiary selection. Who qualifies for these houses? How transparent will the process be? Will access be genuinely statewide as proclaimed by the government, or will proximity and political connections play a role?
