Katsina Domestic Debt Drops from N62bn to N14bn

Francis Sardauna in Katsina

Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State has disclosed that the state’s domestic debt has dropped from N62 billion in 2022 to N14 billion in 2025, representing a reduction of N48 billion under his administration.

He made the disclosure on Thursday while speaking as a panelist at the launch of the Nigeria Development Update by the World Bank at the Sheraton Hotel, Abuja.

The event, themed ‘Beyond the Federal Purse: How Higher Revenues Reshaped State Priorities’, brought together key economic policymakers and stakeholders to discuss revenue generation, fiscal management and development at the sub-national level.

Radda said the reduction in domestic debt was achieved alongside a significant improvement in the state’s internally generated revenue (IGR), which increased from about N600 million monthly in 2023 to over N3 billion monthly in 2026.

“Our commitment to prudent financial management is reflected in the significant reduction of Katsina State’s domestic debt, from N62 billion in 2022 to N14 billion in 2025. This represents a reduction of N48 billion and demonstrates our deliberate effort to strengthen the state’s fiscal position while prioritising resources for critical development”, he said.

He said the improved revenue position had strengthened the state’s capacity to fund critical development programmes while maintaining prudent financial management under his watch.

He attributed the increased resources available to the state to improved allocations from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), following economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu.

In a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, the governor said his administration had channelled the additional resources into key sectors, particularly healthcare, education and agriculture.

In the health sector, he said the government had reconstructed and equipped more than 270 Primary Healthcare Centres, established an ambulance service with 15 advanced ambulances, upgraded six Comprehensive Health Centres to General Hospitals and established an Advanced Dialysis Centre as well as an Imaging and Cancer Centre.

The governor added that more than 2,000 healthcare professionals had been recruited.

In education, Radda disclosed that the state had constructed over 170 new schools, renovated more than 500 others, built three model schools, recruited over 10,000 teachers and trained more than 25,000 teachers.

On agriculture, he said Katsina had embarked on what he described as the largest mechanisation programme by any sub-national government in Nigeria, involving more than 400 modern tractors and thousands of other mechanised equipment.

He added that over 1,000 youths had been trained and supported in agribusiness, while more than 60,000 tonnes of fertiliser were distributed annually and over 5,000 irrigation equipment provided to farmers.

He further disclosed that the state’s malnutrition rate had declined by seven per cent, while the number of out-of-school children had fallen from over 500,000 to about 200,000.

Governor Radda also reaffirmed that Katsina had fully implemented financial autonomy for its local governments.