Katsina is committed to providing equal access to safe, quality education – Radda tells partners

Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda on Friday presented the state’s development strategy to the Development Partners Group for Nigeria (NDPG) at a meeting held in Kaduna.

During the meeting with the development partners, Governor Radda provided details of Katsina state’s interventions to ensure equitable social service delivery to all citizens.

“We are implementing critical interventions and quick actions to ensure our citizens have what is required to live happily,” the Governor stated.

Mr Radda outlined the state’s collaborative approach to addressing out-of-school children, teacher support services, and safe school initiatives.

“We are working with various stakeholders to ensure equitable access to safe and quality education for all,” he emphasized.

Addressing healthcare challenges, the governor presented ongoing initiatives including the expansion of primary healthcare centres and medical supplies distribution.

He identified the shortage of medical professionals, particularly doctors, as a key concern requiring immediate attention.

Governor Radda also highlighted agricultural development as a cornerstone of the state’s economic strategy.

“We are implementing comprehensive measures to encourage farming, including fertilizer subsidies and farm input support. We are seeing an increase in cultivated land annually,” he stated, adding that the state seeks partnerships to maximize land utilization for enhanced food security and household economic development.

The governor also reported significant progress in security management, citing successful collaboration between state security formations and local communities.

The Development Partners Group acknowledged Katsina’s systematic progress in addressing security challenges over the past two years.

In response, Ms Cynthia Rowe, Development Director, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), led the discussion on behalf of the Nigeria Development Partners Group (NDPG).

Ms Rowe declared the partners commitment to supporting Katsina State through capacity building, education service delivery, healthcare initiatives including polio vaccination and safe motherhood programmes as well as agricultural extension services.

Additional commitments were secured for youth engagement, skills development, digital literacy, and gender-responsive planning.

The Nigeria Development Partners Group (NDPG) includes representatives from the World Bank, all United Nations subsidiaries including UNESCO, UkAid, UNIDO, UNICED, UNFPA, UN-Women, the African Development Bank.

The meeting concluded with plans for formal agreement signings and implementation strategies.

Katsina State’s top government functionaries at the event meeting include the Principal Private Secretary to the Governor, Abdullahi Aliyu Turaji; Executive Secretary, Katsina State Development Management Board, Mustapha Shehu, and the Lead Consultant for the State, Mr Harun Abba.

Kaduna State was represented at the meeting by the Economic Planning Commissioner, Bashir Muhammad.