From Muawuya Bala Idris, Katsina
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has announced a significant increase in the state’s monthly Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), rising from about N400 million to N3 billion.
Radda made this known while receiving a delegation of commissioners and management staff of the Revenue Mobilization, Allocation and Fiscal Commission, led by Saad Ibrahim Bello, during a courtesy visit.
He attributed the remarkable growth to targeted fiscal reforms introduced by his administration, particularly the blocking of revenue leakages and the adoption of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) system.
“Through deliberate reforms, especially the blocking of leakages and the introduction of the Treasury Single Account, we have significantly improved our revenue performance,” the governor stated.
He noted that the reforms have strengthened transparency and accountability across government institutions, ensuring more efficient management of public resources.
The governor further disclosed that his administration has fulfilled nearly 90 percent of its campaign promises to the people of the state.
“We have achieved close to 90 percent of the commitments made to the people of Katsina State,” he said.
Governor Radda explained that the achievements cut across key sectors, including agriculture, education, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), public service reforms, and security.
On security, he said sustained government investments have yielded positive results, leading to a noticeable reduction in insecurity across the state.
However, he urged the visiting delegation to consider the peculiar challenges facing Katsina State, particularly those relating to internally displaced persons (IDPs), limited access to basic services, and malnutrition.
Radda revealed that the prevalence of malnutrition compelled the state government to invest over N3 billion in establishing stabilization centres and Outpatient Therapeutic Programme (OTP) centres to support affected children and their mothers.
“The challenge of malnutrition forced us to commit over N3 billion to establish stabilization and OTP centres for affected children and their mothers,” he explained.
He added that the state is collaborating with development partners, including UNICEF, to strengthen ongoing health interventions.
Governor Radda also directed the Head of Service, the Secretary to the State Government, and all relevant ministries, departments, and agencies to provide the visiting team with the necessary data and support to ensure a smooth exercise.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Saad Ibrahim Bello, said the team was in Katsina to commence a nationwide data verification exercise.
He explained that the exercise is designed to verify data used in revenue allocation among states and local governments nationwide.
Bello noted that the assignment aligns with the Commission’s constitutional mandate under Paragraph 32(b) of Part I of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution.
“This exercise will enhance accuracy, transparency, and fairness in the distribution of national revenue,” he added.