Katsina to disburse N4bn community grants for ward development projects

The Katsina State Government is set to disburse N4 billion in community grants across its 361 political wards to support grassroots development and the rehabilitation of critical public infrastructure.

The State Coordinator of the Community Development Programme (CDP), Dr. Kamaluddeen Kabir, disclosed this while speaking with journalists during the ongoing 2027 pre-budget defence organised by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

Kabir said the programme is awaiting Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s approval before the funds are released. Under the initiative, each of the state’s 361 wards will receive N10 million to execute development projects selected by community members based on their most pressing needs.

He explained that the grants are designed to empower communities to address local infrastructure challenges, particularly the rehabilitation of deteriorating public facilities and other priority projects.

According to Kabir, the state government successfully disbursed N5 billion under the programme last year and has proposed another N5 billion in the 2027 budget to sustain and expand the initiative.

He noted that the programme is jointly financed by the Katsina State Government and the state’s 34 local government councils. Communities that demonstrate transparency and effective use of previous grants, he added, may qualify for additional funding, subject to the governor’s approval.

Kabir urged community leaders to ensure the funds are used strictly for their intended purposes, warning that any community found diverting the grants would face sanctions.

He also encouraged residents to actively monitor projects included in the 2027 budget to ensure that ministries, departments and agencies implement approved projects as planned.

The Community Development Programme is one of the Katsina State Government’s flagship grassroots initiatives aimed at encouraging community participation in governance by allowing residents to identify, implement and monitor development projects while complementing government infrastructure investments across the state.