(Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda. Photo by Kastina State Government)
The Katsina State Executive Council, under the chairmanship of Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has approved a 100 percent increase in student bursary payments, alongside a range of other projects and programmes aimed at advancing human capital development and strengthening infrastructure across the state.
The decisions were reached at the 8th Regular Meeting of the Council held on Wednesday, May 13, 2026, at the General Muhammadu Buhari House in Katsina, and were announced at a press briefing presided over by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Dr. Bala Salisu Zango.
On education, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Bashir Tanimu Gambo, announced the approval of a merit-based scholarship programme targeting the top 50 performing students in each of the state’s 34 Local Government Areas.
The scholarship will cover full tuition and associated fees, as well as an annual stipend, ensuring that academically talented students are not held back by financial constraints.
The Executive Secretary of the Scholarship Board, Dr. Aminu Salisu, added that the initiative is specifically designed to remove financial barriers to education, particularly for students from low-income households.
In the area of youth empowerment and agriculture, the Council enrolled an additional 361 trainees in the second batch of the Dikko Radda Agripreneurship Training and Empowerment Scheme at the Makera Songhai Training Center in Dutsin-ma.
The programme equips young people with practical skills in integrated farming systems, crop production, livestock management, aquaculture, agro-processing, and agri-business development.
On infrastructure, the Council awarded a contract for the completion of a new Modern Pump House at Ajiwa Water Works, a project intended to restore and boost water supply to Katsina metropolis and its surrounding communities.
Regarding sports development, the Commissioner for Youth and Sports, Surajo Yazid Abukur, announced the approval of Phase III of the Charanchi Township Stadium project, which will include the construction of a standard football pitch, a stone-base course, a multi-purpose indoor sports hall, and a Type B pavilion collectively transforming the facility into a modern sporting centre.
The Council also approved the installation of lead-free FIFA Quality Pro-Generation Hybrid Synthetic Grass at the Malumfashi and Funtua Township stadiums, upgrades expected to bring both facilities to international standards and inspire greater sporting participation among the state’s youth.
Finally, the Council adopted the General Household Survey (GHS) 2025, presented by Statistician General Professor Saifulahi Sani.
The survey is intended to serve as a statewide baseline for result-driven rural development planning and to address longstanding data gaps that have hampered strategic decision-making among government agencies and development partners.
