Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State has approved the disbursement of ₦372,051,176 as bursary allowances for 24,452 continuing students across the state’s 34 local government areas.

The disclosure was made yesterday by the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Scholarship Board, Dr. Aminu Salisu Tsauri, who highlighted that the intervention underscores the governor’s strong commitment to education and human capital development.

Tsauri explained that since the beginning of Governor Radda’s administration, bursary allowances have been distributed as follows: ₦637,924,516 to 47,935 students (2020/2021 fresh and 2021/2022 continuing); ₦544,207,748 to 37,802 students (2021/2022 fresh and 2022/2023 continuing); and ₦744,102,352 to 50,438 students (2022/2023 fresh and 2023/2024 continuing).

He further announced that plans are already in place to approve the 2024/2025 local scholarships for 12,609 fresh students, as well as special scholarships for students with disabilities.

“With these interventions, the total number of beneficiaries now stands at an unprecedented 174,461 students – a phenomenal achievement that cements Katsina State’s status as a trailblazer in educational empowerment across Nigeria,” Tsauri said.

He added: “The Scholarship Board is making all necessary arrangements to ensure seamless and timely disbursement of the newly-approved bursary funds, while continuing to work under the gracious guidance and far-sighted leadership of His Excellency.

“Beyond local support, Governor Radda has lifted Katsina State to the global stage by sponsoring students from all the 34 LGAs to study abroad in highly specialized and competitive fields: Artificial Intelligence at Xi’an Shiyou University, China; Bioengineering at Xuzhou University of Technology, China; and MBBS (Medicine and Surgery) at Nahda University, Beni Suef, Egypt.”

Tsauri described the initiatives as remarkable achievements, stressing that Governor Radda’s administration is not just catching up but leading in prioritizing education and shaping a knowledge-driven future.

Alongside its education drive, the Katsina State Government also revealed plans to address housing and security challenges. Governor Radda disclosed during a closed-door “power-packed consultation on security and governance” at the Government House that 152 homes will be built for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Jibia Local Government Area.

In a joint statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Dr. Bala Salisu-Zango, and the Director-General, Media, Maiwada Dammallam, the governor was quoted as saying that security remains the top priority of his development blueprint.

“The governor announced plans for 152 IDP homes in Jibia for displaced families, plus business support packages, cattle, and industrial tools for repentant individuals preventing violence relapse,” the statement read.

It further noted that Radda is open to constructive criticism in tackling security and other challenges facing the state.

In his remarks, Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal highlighted that the administration has created 35,903 jobs across diverse sectors, including teacher recruitment, ward head appointments, and community watch engagement.

He disclosed that the Urban Renewal Project covering Daura, Funtua, and Katsina senatorial districts has so far consumed ₦74.9 billion.

The deputy governor added that the state has constructed 160 new classrooms, rehabilitated 258 others, trained 18,000 teachers, and established three model schools. He also confirmed that 152 schools were upgraded under the AGILE program, exam fees were fully covered, and ₦6.18 billion was awarded in scholarships to 174,451 students, including overseas sponsorships.

On energy, Lawal revealed that ₦3.84 billion worth of solar mini-grids have been completed, alongside the installation of 74 km of solar-powered streetlights, restoration of high-tension power lines, and upgrades to community-level transformers