In only two years since taking office, Dr. Dikko Umar Radda has emerged as a decisive and visionary leader, implementing comprehensive, grassroots-focused policies that are redefining the trajectory of Katsina State. His administration’s strategic emphasis on education, healthcare, security, rural development, and employment generation has begun to yield tangible and impactful results across the region.
As the fifth democratically elected governor of Katsina, his journey has been shaped by deep academic roots, public service experience, and a vision to restore security, dignity, and prosperity to a state battered by years of banditry, unemployment, and infrastructural decay.
A former Director-General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Radda brought a technocratic discipline into politics. Armed with a Ph.D in Rural Development, he ran for office on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform with a people-first manifesto promising to rebuild from the grassroots up.
He assumed office on May 29, 2023, at a time when insecurity, educational deficits, and health system weaknesses plagued the state. His immediate focus was clear: restore confidence in governance and deliver real impact.
Governor Radda declared an emergency on education, and the change has been swift and structured:
– Construction of 75 new secondary schools, including 15 mega secondary schools under the AGILE initiative, ensures equitable access to quality education across the 34 LGAs.
– Renovation of 100 existing secondary schools and rehabilitation of hundreds of classrooms and furniture for primary schools reflect his grassroots emphasis.
– Recruitment of over 7,300 qualified teachers is addressing staffing shortages, especially in underserved rural communities.
– Scholarships and bursary backlog payments for 136,175 students have reignited hope for thousands of indigent learners.
– Over 100,000 schoolgirls supported with learning materials, sanitary kits, and WASH facilities under a girls’ empowerment program.
– His administration is also offering cash rewards to top-performing students, rekindling the value of academic excellence.
These steps aim not only to raise literacy rates but also to reverse the growing dropout trend, especially among girls and nomadic populations.
Radda’s government is radically improving healthcare accessibility, especially in rural areas:
– Refurbishment of 102 healthcare centres, with 22 more under construction and 34 others scheduled for renovation.
– Upgrading of 5 comprehensive health centres to full general hospitals, expanding specialist care access in hard-to-reach areas.
– Construction of a modern dialysis centre at Amadi Rimi Specialist Hospital, poised to be the largest of its kind in Northern Nigeria.
International partnership with World Medical Relief (USA) delivered medical equipment and supplies worth over ₦10 billion.
– Investment in community-based health workers and facilities is reducing maternal and infant mortality.
This robust investment is ensuring that even the most rural wards have a functioning and responsive primary health care system.
Perhaps the most critical pillar of Radda’s administration is security, and the results are beginning to show:
– Creation of the Katsina Community Watch Corps, comprising 1,466 personnel trained and deployed in collaboration with conventional forces.
– Deployment of 10 armored personnel carriers, 61 patrol vehicles, and over 700 motorcycles to key flashpoints in the state.
– Launch of rural surveillance units and intelligence-led responses in frontline LGAs such as Faskari, Jibia, Batsari, and Sabuwa.
– Regular town-hall meetings with security agencies, traditional rulers, and local vigilantes have strengthened trust and collaboration.
In a region once overrun by bandits, Governor Radda’s aggressive security architecture is gradually returning displaced communities to normalcy.
Governor Radda is also redefining economic participation for the youth and rural population:
– Launch of the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA) to train and fund over 10,000 women and youth entrepreneurs.
– Empowerment programs in tailoring, welding, solar installation, ICT, and agribusiness are creating jobs and reducing urban migration.
– Expansion of agricultural extension services and farmer cooperatives to boost food production and income in rural zones.
These policies are not just curbing poverty, they are building a new class of self-sufficient, skilled, and digitally literate entrepreneurs.
In one of his boldest governance initiatives, Radda’s administration is finalizing plans to join the Open Government Partnership (OGP), positioning Katsina among states leading in transparency, civic inclusion, and anti-corruption.
Additionally, the creation of a Persons With Disability Agency, appointment of women into strategic roles, and consistent townhall engagements reflect a bottom-up approach that respects diversity and citizen voices.
Radda’s next steps are ambitious:
– Digitization of government services and data to enhance efficiency.
– Massive solar electrification projects for off-grid communities.
– Urban renewal plans for Katsina metropolis, including new road networks, public parks, and smart transport systems.
As 2027 approaches, analysts believe Governor Radda could emerge as a key player still in shaping not just Katsina’s future but also as a national leader. His blend of vision, discipline, and grassroots trust makes him a name to watch.
Governor Dikko Umar Radda’s first year in office has laid a solid foundation of hope and development across Katsina State. Through deliberate planning, courageous leadership, and inclusive policies, he is not only rebuilding a state once ravaged by insecurity and poverty – he is redefining governance as a service to the people. His journey is far from over, for the people of Katsina.