From Mu’awiya Bala Idris, Katsina
The Katsina State Government has commenced the distribution of 90,000 bags of 100kg assorted grains to vulnerable households across the state’s 34 Local Government Areas.
The programme, which covers all 361 wards in the state, will be monitored by the Katsina State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission to ensure transparency and accountability.
Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Kaita Local Government Area on Wednesday, Governor Dikko Umaru Radda said the intervention was designed to respond to the immediate needs of citizens facing economic hardship.
He said the initiative was part of a broader programme of support for vulnerable households, recalling that his administration had earlier supported women engaged in Koko and Kosai businesses across the 361 wards with food items and financial assistance during Ramadan.
The governor also recalled the government’s intervention for 7,220 widows across the state, with 20 beneficiaries selected from each ward and supported with 25kg bags of rice and N10,000 cash assistance.
According to him, the state had previously distributed another 90,000 bags of grains, comprising 30,000 bags each of millet, maize and guinea corn, to vulnerable citizens.
He said lessons from the previous exercise had enabled the government to improve its grassroots distribution mechanism, particularly through Community Level Committees (CLCs).
“The objective is not simply to distribute more, but to distribute better, improve targeting, strengthen accountability and ensure that government support reaches those for whom it is intended,” he said.
Governor Radda stressed that food palliatives were necessary during periods of economic difficulty but could not provide a permanent solution to food insecurity.
He said the administration was therefore pursuing a two-pronged approach: providing immediate relief while investing in agriculture, irrigation, community development, youth empowerment and women’s economic participation.
Radda said the government had supported farmers with subsidised fertiliser and other agricultural inputs while expanding irrigation through solar- and petrol-powered pumps, tube wells and other farm inputs.
He explained that the grain distribution and agricultural interventions formed part of the same strategy of providing immediate support to vulnerable families while building the productive capacity of communities to become more self-reliant.
On the distribution process, the governor directed all officials involved to uphold fairness, transparency, accountability and inclusiveness. He warned that personal relationships, social status or other interests must not prevent deserving citizens from benefiting.
He also called on Local Government Councils, traditional and religious leaders, Community Level Committees and other stakeholders to ensure that the exercise was peaceful, orderly and properly implemented.
The governor highlighted the role of the Community Development Programme (CDP) grassroots structures across the 361 wards, describing the Community Level Committees as an important mechanism for identifying community needs, coordinating interventions and providing feedback to the government.
He commended the Ministry of Special Duties, Ministry of Rural and Social Development, Community Development Programme, Community Level Committees, Local Government Chairmen, traditional and religious institutions, security agencies, civil servants and community leaders for supporting the exercise.
Radda assured citizens that his administration recognised the economic difficulties confronting many families and would continue to deploy available resources responsibly to address their needs.
He said the administration would also continue investing in agriculture, education, healthcare, water supply, community infrastructure, youth development and women’s empowerment to create sustainable opportunities for citizens.
“Our vision is a productive Katsina State where farmers prosper, young people find opportunities, women participate meaningfully in the economy, and vulnerable citizens receive the support they need,” the governor said.
Earlier, the State Coordinator of the Community Development Programme (CDP), Dr Kamaludeen Kabir, said the distribution of 90,000 bags of grains demonstrated the Radda administration’s commitment to taking government interventions closer to the people.
He said the CDP structures across the 361 wards would help ensure that the grains reached those who genuinely needed the support.
“This intervention is not simply about distributing food items; it is about ensuring that government support reaches communities in an organised, transparent and inclusive manner,” he said.
Kamaludeen said priority would be given to vulnerable households, widows, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, low-income families and other deserving citizens.
He urged Community Level Committees, local government officials, traditional and religious leaders to ensure that every bag reached its intended beneficiary.
He warned against the diversion, hoarding or sale of the grains, stressing that the exercise would be monitored and properly documented.
The coordinator said the CDP would continue to strengthen its grassroots structures to bring government development and social interventions closer to the people.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Hon. Zainab Musa Musawa, said the grain distribution was aimed at supporting vulnerable households and easing the impact of rising food prices.
She said the intervention, approved by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, would provide free maize, millet, sorghum and rice to beneficiaries across the state’s 34 Local Government Areas. She added that the initiative would restore hope, strengthen food security and reaffirm the government’s commitment to the welfare of its people.
The Chairman of Kaita Local Government Area, Hon. Bello Lawal, described the grain distribution as timely and beneficial to residents. He said the Radda administration had implemented projects in agriculture, education, healthcare, social welfare and other sectors.
In his remarks, the District Head of Kaita and Sarkin Sullubawan Katsina, Alhaji Yazeed Abdulkarim Kabir Usman, commended the government for extending the intervention to vulnerable residents.
He described the initiative as a demonstration of concern for families facing economic hardship and urged stakeholders to ensure a peaceful and transparent distribution.