Katsina State has intensified efforts to strengthen rural food production as Governor Dikko Umaru Radda unveiled a large-scale distribution of irrigation equipment and farm inputs aimed at boosting productivity across local communities.
The exercise, held at the Government House in Katsina, forms part of the Katsina State Community Development Programme (CDP) — a flagship initiative designed to empower communities and accelerate agricultural transformation in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Irrigation Authority.
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Governor Radda said the intervention reflects his administration’s practical approach to rebuilding agriculture as the lifeline of Katsina’s economy and a pathway to sustainable food security. He emphasised that the event was not a ceremonial gesture but a statement of purpose.
“Today’s event is not merely a distribution exercise; it is a reflection of our collective commitment to improving the lives of our people, especially our hardworking farmers whose efforts put food on our tables every day,” he stated.
According to him, the initiative covers the distribution of 4,000 irrigation water pumps, 4,000 knapsack sprayers, herbicides, and liquid fertilisers, targeted at making farming more efficient and profitable while enabling year-round cultivation.
He explained that the CDP was conceived to bridge the gap between government and rural dwellers by granting communities the power to identify and drive their own development priorities. “When I assumed office, I made a promise that government would no longer sit in comfort while our people struggled in silence. That promise gave birth to the CDP,” Radda said.
To ensure transparency, the governor directed the CDP to supervise logistics, monitoring, and accountability throughout the distribution process, while mandating the Katsina Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (KTARDA) to deploy extension officers for field guidance on equipment usage.
“These tools belong to our farmers, but more importantly, they belong to the future of Katsina State. Use them wisely to improve your productivity and lift your families out of hardship,” he urged.
Speaking on the impact of the initiative, the Coordinator of the Community Development Programme, Kamal, said the CDP had already touched nearly every part of the state through multiple empowerment schemes. “From November last year to date, there is hardly any community in Katsina that has not felt the impact of the CDP,” he said.
He noted that the programme has distributed fertilisers at polling units, provided ₦50,000 financial support to widows and vulnerable women through the KT-Cares initiative, and supported smallholder farmers with resources to scale up productivity.
Also, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Aliyu Lawal, said the intervention will strengthen irrigation farming, improve crop sustainability, and consolidate the state’s agricultural foundation for long-term growth.
Across the country, similar efforts are gaining momentum, with states such as Ogun recently empowering over 4,000 smallholder farmers with home gardening toolkits. Katsina’s latest initiative therefore reinforces the nationwide drive to achieve food security through grassroots empowerment and inclusive agricultural development.
