The Katsina State Government has concluded arrangements to disburse N4 billion in community grants across its 361 political wards to support the rehabilitation of public infrastructure and other priority development projects.
The State Coordinator of the Community Development Programme (CDP), Dr Kamaluddeen Kabir, disclosed this on Monday while speaking with journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing 2027 pre-budget defence organised by the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.
Kabir said the programme was awaiting Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s approval before the release of the funds, adding that each ward would receive N10 million to execute projects identified by community members.
‘We are only waiting for the approval of His Excellency before commencing the disbursement. Each of the 361 wards will receive N10 million for immediate utilisation on priority projects identified by the communities,’ he said.
He said the intervention was designed to empower communities to tackle pressing infrastructure challenges, particularly the rehabilitation of dilapidated public facilities.
Kabir recalled that the state government disbursed N5 billion under the programme last year and said another N5 billion had been proposed in the 2027 budget to sustain the initiative.
‘Last year, we disbursed N5 billion to communities across the state. We have also proposed the same amount in the 2027 budget to sustain the programme and expand grassroots development,’ he said.
He explained that the grants were jointly funded by the state government and the 34 local government councils, adding that communities that demonstrated transparency and effective utilisation of previous allocations could receive additional incentives.
‘We disburse N10 million to each community. However, additional funds are approved for the best-performing communities, subject to the governor’s approval,’ he said.
Kabir urged community leaders to ensure prudent management of the funds, warning that any community found diverting the grants would face sanctions.
‘We will not hesitate to sanction any community that diverts the funds from their intended purpose. These resources belong to the people and must be used strictly for community development,’ he warned.
He also urged communities to monitor projects proposed for inclusion in the 2027 budget to ensure they are implemented by the relevant ministries, departments and agencies.
‘It is not enough to submit requests during the budget process. Communities should also monitor implementation to ensure that approved projects are executed as planned,’ he added.
The Community Development Programme is one of the Katsina State Government’s flagship grassroots initiatives aimed at promoting community participation in governance by enabling residents to identify, implement and monitor development projects at the ward level while complementing government infrastructure investments across the state.