From Mu’awiya Bala Idris, Katsina
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has flagged off the second statewide ward-level town hall meetings to gather citizens’ input for the preparation of the 2027 state budget, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to inclusive governance and participatory budgeting.
The governor launched the exercise on Saturday at Radda Ward in Charanchi Local Government Area, while similar consultations were held simultaneously across all 361 political wards in the state’s 34 local government areas.
Governor Radda described the exercise as a significant step towards ensuring that governance remains people-centred, stressing that every community deserves to have a voice in determining the state’s development priorities.
“Today’s exercise is not merely another public meeting. It is a continuation of the promise we made that governance must begin by listening to the people.
“Every community deserves to be heard, and every voice matters in shaping the future of Katsina State,” he said.
He recalled that the maiden ward-level consultations held ahead of the 2026 budget marked a historic shift in governance by allowing citizens across all 361 wards to directly influence government policies and development priorities.
According to the governor, many of the recommendations from the first consultations have already translated into projects in key sectors such as road infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education, water supply, youth empowerment, social protection, community development and security support.
While acknowledging the state’s limited resources, Governor Radda assured residents that no genuine request would be ignored.
“Where immediate implementation is not possible, such requests remain under consideration for subsequent budgets and other government interventions,” he said.
The governor emphasised that sustainable development requires active community participation, not only in identifying projects but also in monitoring their implementation to ensure accountability, transparency and value for public resources.
He urged residents to participate actively by presenting projects that genuinely reflect their communities’ needs, with particular attention to education, healthcare, agriculture, water supply, youth and women empowerment, economic development and security.
Governor Radda also called on youths, women, persons with disabilities, farmers, traders, artisans and community associations to take full advantage of the consultations, describing their contributions as essential to shaping the future of the state.
He further directed community-level committees, traditional rulers, local government councils, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to ensure that the consultations are conducted peacefully, transparently and inclusively.
The governor commended the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, led by Commissioner Hon. Malik Anas, and the Community Development Programme (CDP), headed by Dr. Kamaludeen Kabir, for coordinating the statewide consultations.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Hon. Malik Anas, said the administration had made history by conducting budget consultations in all 361 wards last year, noting that many of the recommendations received are already being implemented across various sectors.
He assured participants that all submissions from this year’s consultations would be carefully documented, analysed and incorporated into the state’s planning framework in line with available resources and government priorities.
Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Community Development Programme, Dr. Kamaludeen Kabir, said the initiative reflects the government’s belief that sustainable development can only be achieved when communities actively participate in identifying and prioritising projects that affect their lives.
He explained that the CDP had deployed Community Development Officers, Community Learning Officers, Community Support Officers and Community-Level Committees across the state to facilitate discussions and document community priorities for inclusion in the 2027 budget.
The statewide consultations, organised by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning in collaboration with the Community Development Programme under the theme “Building Your Future IV,” are designed to give residents across all 361 wards the opportunity to directly influence the preparation of the 2027 Katsina State Budget.
