From Mustapha Adamu, Kano
The Katsina State Government has spent N7.61 billion on its Community Development Programme (CDP) over the past two years as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots development and improve the delivery of public services across the state.
The State Coordinator of the CDP, Dr Kamaludeen Kabir, disclosed this during an interactive session with journalists in Kano on Tuesday.
Kabir said the community-driven programme, introduced by the state government in 2024, uses Katsina’s 361 political wards as communities, with each ward having a committee responsible for identifying local priorities and coordinating government interventions.
According to him, the state government released N3.61 billion for the programme in 2025 and another N4 billion in 2026.
He said the funds had supported interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and economic empowerment, among other sectors.
Kabir said the programme had facilitated the free distribution of 4,000 hand-operated tillers, 4,000 solar-powered water pumps and 48,000 bags of fertiliser to farmers.
He added that more than 400,000 bags of fertiliser were sold to farmers at a subsidised price of N20,000 per bag in 2026, with allocations distributed across the Katsina, Funtua and Daura zones.
Other interventions, he said, included the distribution of 90,000 bags of grains to vulnerable residents, support for more than 10,030 people engaged in nano and micro businesses, and the distribution of an additional 4,000 petrol-powered water pumps.
Farmers also received sprayers, liquid fertiliser, pesticides and herbicides under the programme.
Kabir said another 90,000 bags of grains, comprising 50kg bags of rice and 100kg bags of millet and sorghum, were recently distributed to vulnerable residents.
Explaining the structure of the CDP, the coordinator said the programme operates through three major committees: the State Steering Committee, chaired by Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda; the Joint Planning Committee, which coordinates matters involving the state and local governments; and the Community-Level Committees operating across the 361 wards.
He said the first two committees perform strategic and planning functions, while the Community-Level Committees are responsible for implementing the programme at the grassroots.
Kabir explained that the government adopted political wards as communities because using polling units would be difficult to manage, given that Katsina has more than 6,652 polling units.
“Each of the 361 Community-Level Committees comprises local government personnel and representatives of key groups within the community,” he said.
According to him, membership includes councillors, village heads, clerics, primary healthcare officials, education and agricultural extension personnel, headteachers, community elders and representatives of women, youths, persons with disabilities and traders’ unions.
He added that three trained local government officials — Community Development Officers, Community Support Officers and Community Learning Officers — are also part of the structure.
Kabir said the government trained personnel on Grade Levels 7 to 12 and conducted examinations before successful candidates were deployed to the wards.
He disclosed that each ward committee would receive N10 million for minor repairs and maintenance of public infrastructure.
The funds, he said, could be used to repair non-functional boreholes and solar facilities, renovate dilapidated primary schools, and address problems involving culverts and drainage systems.
According to him, the initiative is designed to encourage communities to maintain existing public infrastructure rather than concentrating solely on constructing new projects.
Kabir said the committees are also responsible for identifying beneficiaries of government interventions through community consultations and town hall meetings.
“These people can identify a farmer who deserves fertiliser or irrigation support, a poor and vulnerable person who needs food, or someone in business who requires support for their business activities,” he said.
He added that communities submit their identified needs to the government, after which the appropriate interventions are provided.
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