By Taibat Ummi Yakubu
The Katsina State Government has approved a 20-megawatt solar power project for 11 critical public facilities, an intervention expected to cut the state’s electricity and diesel expenses by about N7 billion.
The approval was announced by Governor Dikko Umar Radda after the 17th regular meeting of the State Executive Council, as the administration intensifies efforts to reduce its dependence on conventional electricity sources and improve power supply to essential public institutions.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Power and Energy, Dr Hafiz Ahmed, said the council approved the procurement and installation of Balance-of-System accessories for Solar PV Inverters and Battery Energy Storage Systems at the selected facilities.
The beneficiaries include Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, three waterworks and a booster station, General Amadi Rimi Hospital, Turai Yar’Adua Maternity Hospital, the Katsina State House of Assembly and the Katsina State High Court.
Ahmed said the 11 facilities currently account for 93.4 per cent of the Katsina State Government’s total electricity expenditure, making them a major target of the solar intervention.
He explained that shifting a substantial portion of their energy needs to solar power would reduce the government’s reliance on electricity from the national grid as well as diesel-powered generators.
The project, he said, is expected to save the state approximately N7 billion, with the money currently spent on electricity and diesel potentially matching the cost of the solar investment within about three and a half years.
Ahmed also highlighted what he described as a significant expansion of Katsina’s power-generation capacity under the Radda administration.
According to him, the state had zero megawatts of generation capacity when the administration assumed office but has now crossed the 30MW mark. The government is targeting 70MW by 2031 under an Integrated Resource Plan developed in partnership with Power Africa.
Beyond the power sector, the Executive Council also approved a monthly N10,000 allowance for 2,500 youths under the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
The Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Surajo Yazeed-Abukur, said the initiative was designed to support the beneficiaries’ sources of income and improve their socio-economic wellbeing.
The council also approved the maiden Katsina State Inter-Wards Grassroots Football Tournament, to be known as the “Gov. Dikko Umaru Radda Youth Mobilisation and Development Tournament.”
Yazeed-Abukur said the competition would provide a platform for grassroots sporting talent while promoting unity, teamwork and constructive engagement among young people across the state.
In the education sector, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Suleiman-Jibia, said the council approved external works at the Special Model Secondary Schools in Jikamshi and Dumurkul to prepare the institutions for commencement of operations.
The intervention, he said, was aimed at widening access to quality secondary education, particularly for children living in rural communities.
The council also adopted recommendations from the Teachers Voice Survey on improving teachers’ proficiency in English, alongside the Instructional Leadership Training Programme, which is designed to strengthen curriculum delivery and improve learning outcomes.
The state’s road infrastructure also featured prominently in the council’s decisions, with approval granted for the procurement of a brand-new Caterpillar asphalt paver for the Katsina State Roads Maintenance Agency.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Transport, Works and Housing, Umar Samaila-Rugoji, said the equipment would strengthen the agency’s capacity for road construction, rehabilitation and routine maintenance.
The council further approved the provision of motorcycles to each of the state’s 34 local government areas, a move aimed at improving access to rural and hard-to-reach communities.
In the health sector, Commissioner for Health Musa Adamu-Funtua said approvals were granted for the renovation and expansion of healthcare facilities in Jibia, Batsari, Ingawa and Bindawa.
The council also approved the renovation of doctors’ quarters at General Hospital, Katsina, as part of measures to improve healthcare infrastructure and working conditions for medical personnel.
The series of approvals reflects the state government’s latest push to combine infrastructure investment with cost-cutting measures, youth support, education, healthcare and rural development across Katsina State.
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!