Katsina’s Economic Rebound: Data, Delivery and Development in Motion

Amid insecurity and other challenges, Katsina State is rising above its limitations, delivering a development report card that is changing the fortunes of the state with visible impacts, and steadily convincing skeptics, writes Omolabake Fasogbon.

From a distance, it was easy to dismiss Katsina State’s early promises as political propaganda, especially given Nigeria’s general track record with unkept commitments. Nigeria’s governance record points to this. The World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators Report rated the country -1.01 out of a possible +2.5 on Government Effectiveness in 2024, placing Nigeria among the bottom 20 per cent globally. The index, which measures the quality of public service delivery and credibility of government policies, shows the country has consistently struggled in nearly three decades of assessment.

Evidence emerging from Katsina, however, suggests a shift. A BudgIT-backed Tracka report on project delivery across 30 states ranked Katsina first with an 85.84 per cent project completion rate in the federal capital budget cycle. Out of 114 projects worth N26.79 billion reviewed in the state, 89 were completed, 17 ongoing, while none was abandoned.

These figures show development in Katsina is moving beyond policy statements into measurable impact, even amid security threats. Growth is spreading across sectors of agriculture, education, health, and revenue, among others, reflecting the principle that true development happens when no area is left behind. The state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) proves it, rising from N400 million to N3 billion monthly.

Field observation reveals the intentionality of the state’s leadership to pursue integrated development, well enunciated in its “Building Your Future” strategic policy, a reform blueprint drafted even before Governor Dikko Radda assumed office in 2023.

The evidence-based blueprint, further codified into law to ensure it outlives the current administration, addresses key gaps with input from technocrats to deliver targeted outcomes.

Agriculture as industrial backbone

From the outset, the present leadership has treated agriculture as its economic engine, investing N2.5 billion to double crop yields and boost mechanised farming by 25 per cent by 2027. Setting up the Katsina State Sustainable Platform for Agriculture (KASPA), the state has so far deployed over 400 tractors, 10 combine harvesters, and thousands of planters across the state. Instead of just buying complete machines, it imported them as parts and assembled them locally at the Central Mechanisation Hub in Tashar Bala, Batagarawa, which gave local youths mechanical skills and created an in-house repair team.

To keep operations transparent, the tractors use GPS tracking to monitor their location and work done. The state also drilled 3,000 tube wells for dry-season farming, built storage silos to preserve excess harvests, and started a seed programme expected to bring in N4.96 billion in value and jobs.

Head of KASPA, Umar Suleiman, remarked: “This initiative has already supported thousands of farmers and cooperatives, increased cultivation across tens of thousands of hectares, and contributed to food price stabilisation and economic growth in the state.”

The impact of these efforts is already reflected in inflation indicators. The National Bureau of Statistics Q2 2025 report showed the state has the lowest food inflation in the country at 6.9 per cent and headline inflation at 16.2 per cent.

Rebuilding education beyond classrooms

Katsina stands as one of Nigeria’s biggest spenders on education. BudgIT’s State of States 2025 report ranked it among the few states implementing over 80 per cent of their education budgets and the only state to exceed 100 per cent of its budgeted education expenditure in 2024.

This indicator offers a sweet glimpse into the state’s formal education system, even as informal education is also advancing, driven by skills acquisition and community vocational learning centres.

Education spending since 2023 totals over N120 billion, with  emphasis on STEM education, digital literacy, skills development and teacher welfare, supported through development partner initiatives such as the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), Better Education Service Delivery for All (BESDA) and Transforming Education Systems at State Level (TESS). Notable developmental projects include the construction of 170 junior secondary schools in underserved communities, rehabilitation of 300 schools, renovation of 150 primary schools, and establishment of ICT and CBT centres in both rural and urban areas.

Yet, despite rapid development, 536,000 school-age children remain out of school, with findings pointing largely to parental resistance. This challenge has prompted the state to intensify financial incentives, including scholarships, bursaries, grants, and stipends for students and even their parents to encourage enrolment.

The government further expanded this intervention by building three free model smart schools across the senatorial districts of the state, one of which was commissioned recently by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.

These fully funded boarding schools, which in addition to fulfilling digitisation and STEM goals of the administration, are also aimed at helping parents nurture their children literally from birth to fulfilment at no cost, with students even getting monthly stipends from the state.

The state’s performance has continued to attract recognition from local and international development partners, earning grants and intervention support worth over $12 million.

Tackling insecurity head-On

Though still battling insecurity, particularly banditry and kidnapping, the state has intensified localised responses to contain the crisis.

The menace, which Governor Dikko Umar Radda once described as neither religious nor ethnic, has disrupted agriculture, weakened rural economies, claimed civilian and security lives, and triggered displacement.

Amid the crisis, the administration’s proactive community policing approach birthed new structures like the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs (MISHA), State Security Council Advisory Committee, appointment of security oversight officials, and the Community Security Watch Corps (CSCWC). The CSCWC is designed to strengthen grassroots intelligence and rapid response.

“We made security our number one priority and realised the solution had to be community-based because many affected communities are difficult to access,” Governor Radda said.

According to the governor, members of the CSCWC are drawn from violence-prone communities, trained by security agencies, and equipped to support conventional forces with local intelligence and first-response intervention. These interventions have so far cost the state roughly N40 billion, funds that could have gone to developmental projects, yet governance has pressed on regardless. Officials say the interventions have led to the arrest of over 1,000 suspected informants and bandits, while more than 30 political wards previously deserted due to insecurity have now been reclaimed. A 2025 report from the state Ministry of Internal Security also points to relative stability, with about 50 per cent of local government areas fully stabilised, 37 per cent showing improvement, and 13 per cent still at risk.

Building digital economy

Technology has been termed the backbone of the modern economy, and it is indeed rubbing on the state economy. Through the establishment of the Katsina Directorate of Information and Communications Technology (KATDICT) in 2023, the state has launched transformative digital initiatives positioning it as an emerging tech frontrunner.

With KATDICT has come the digitisation of 118 ministries, departments and agencies, deployment of digital public infrastructure and implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), linked to the pronounced boost in the state’s IGR.

The state further distinguishes itself in its digital drive by relying largely on in-house capacity rather than consultants, a move that has saved up to N5 billion while strengthening local skills and technical expertise.

Director General of KATDICT, Naufal Ahmad, said the agency serves as both an enabling and catalytic institution, providing infrastructure, policy direction and technical capacity for government and the emerging tech ecosystem.

Ahmad added that priority has been placed on building foundational blocks of digital governance, including the waiver of right-of-way charges to attract telecom investment, deployment of 27 kilometres of fibre optic connectivity linking major government institutions, and rollout of solar-powered systems across critical public offices.

Beyond governance, the digital push is creating opportunities for youths through partnerships with tech hubs and private firms offering digital skills training, remote work opportunities and access to international scholarships. A state-owned data centre currently under development is also expected to further reduce operational costs upon completion.

Health innovation as benchmark

Katsina’s investment in the health sector is exemplary, enough to compete with leading healthcare model in the country. A Director at the Nigerian Governors’ Forum Secretariat recently lauded the state  approach as a benchmark for other states due to its blend of technology, strategic financing and community-based delivery.

Central to health reform is a telemedicine network linking rural clinics with urban-based specialists, helping residents in remote communities access healthcare without travelling long distances.

State records indicate consultations have increased by 45 per cent since the rollout of the N5 billion initiative, which also includes AI-supported diagnostics.

The government has also introduced a blockchain-backed drug supply monitoring system designed to track medicines from procurement to distribution in public facilities and curb counterfeit drugs.

Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Drugs and Medical Supplies Agency, Fatima Sha’aibu, said the initiative has improved transparency and public confidence in drug distribution.

In preventive healthcare, digital community health hubs now monitor maternal and child health indicators in real time, a system officials say has contributed to a 30 per cent reduction in infant mortality through early detection and follow-up interventions.

Also underway is a state-of-the-art cancer diagnostic and treatment centre expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2026. The facility will house MRI, CT scan, PET-CT and molecular laboratory systems alongside specialised cancer treatment equipment.

Above all, solar energy investments across health facilities and key ministries have ensured about 98 per cent uptime, with just two hours of weekly downtime, improving efficiency, productivity and reducing costs for the state.