From Muawuya Bala Idris, Katsina
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, on Wednesday flagged off the distribution of irrigation equipment and farm inputs to 4,000 farmers across the state in a renewed push to strengthen food production and rural livelihoods.
The event, held at the Banquet Hall of Government House, Katsina, was organised under the Katsina State Community Development Programme (CDP) in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Katsina State Irrigation Authority.
Speaking at the ceremony, Radda said the initiative forms part of his administration’s broader agenda to empower rural communities and reposition agriculture as the backbone of the state’s economy.
“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,” the governor said.
The items distributed include 4,000 irrigation water pumps, 4,000 knapsack sprayers, herbicides and liquid fertilisers. According to Radda, the intervention is designed to make farming more productive and profitable while bolstering food security across the state.
He said the CDP was created to ensure governance responds directly to the needs of local communities, adding that the platform has helped amplify grassroots priorities.
“When I assumed office, I made a promise that government would no longer sit in comfort while our people struggle in silence. That promise gave birth to the CDP — a structure that allows government to listen directly to the people and respond to their real needs,” he said.
Radda directed the CDP to monitor distribution to ensure transparency and tasked KTARDA with deploying agricultural extension officers to guide farmers on using the equipment.
“These tools belong to our farmers, but more importantly, they belong to the future of Katsina State. Use them wisely,” he added.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the CDP, Dr Kamaladeen, said the programme has touched nearly every community since inception through multiple initiatives, including fertiliser distribution at polling units and a ₦50,000 support scheme for widows and vulnerable women under the KT-Cares platform.
He noted that thousands of households also benefitted from Ramadan food support and ongoing interventions tailored to irrigation farmers.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Agriculture, Aliyu Lawal Shargalle, said the tools were not for sale and urged beneficiaries to use them to boost local food production.
The Managing Director of the Katsina State Irrigation Authority, Engr Salim Suleiman, described the exercise as historic, saying the equipment would significantly enhance irrigation farming and uplift rural economies.
Chairman of Danja Local Government Area, Hon. Rabo Tambaya, who spoke on behalf of ALGON, commended the governor’s “visionary leadership,” adding that the empowerment programme would improve rural livelihoods, reduce poverty and strengthen food security across the state.