Governor Radda Charges Katsina Students to Take Leadership Responsibility

"...Your Vision for Students Will Transform Katsina" – ABU Vice-Chancellor Tells Radda

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has charged students of Katsina State to remain dedicated to their studies, build meaningful networks, and prepare to assume leadership responsibilities in the future.

The Governor spoke on Sunday at the grand finale and prize presentation of the 1st Katsina State Students’ Week 2026, held at the Abdullahi Mahadi Conference Centre, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

Governor Radda described the Students’ Week as an important initiative that goes beyond recreation, saying it provides students with opportunities to interact, learn, develop confidence, showcase their talents, and establish relationships that could benefit them throughout their lives.

"We want you to take over from where we stopped. The future of Katsina State will be in your hands, and you must do everything possible to preserve and improve what you inherit," the Governor said.

"Look at the people around you. Many of the people you see here today were once students like you. Some of them are now leaders in government, academia, and other sectors of society," he added.

Governor Radda said his administration had placed education at the centre of its development agenda because of the importance of human capital development to the future of Katsina State.

"If there is no education, there will be no meaningful development in our state. That is why the highest percentage of our budgetary allocation goes to education," he stated.

The Governor said his administration had made significant investments in schools, infrastructure, agricultural training, and other areas of the education sector, while acknowledging that more work remained to be done.

Governor Radda also highlighted efforts by his administration to address outstanding scholarship obligations, noting that the government inherited backlogs spanning several years and had commenced efforts to clear them.

"We did not come into government unprepared. Whatever we are doing, we planned and prepared for it. People may not always understand the thinking behind some of our decisions, but I can assure you that we know what we are doing," he said.

He further stressed the importance of providing equal educational opportunities to children from rural and less privileged communities.

According to him, the government would continue to support programmes designed to identify talented children from rural areas and provide them with opportunities to develop their potential.

He said the government was particularly concerned about public schools because they serve children from ordinary families, stressing the need to provide teachers and schools with the necessary support to deliver quality education.

The Governor also encouraged students to take advantage of the Federal Government’s student loan scheme, describing it as an important intervention capable of giving students from less privileged backgrounds greater access to higher education.

He said the initiative could change the lives of many young Nigerians and contribute to the transformation of the country.

Governor Radda commended the Vice-Chancellor and management of Ahmadu Bello University for their support and cooperation in hosting the Students’ Week.

He also expressed appreciation to the Chairman of the Students’ Week Committee, Hon. Lawal Rufai Safana, members of the organising committee, student leaders, lecturers, judges, mentors, and all other stakeholders who contributed to the success of the programme.

The Governor said he was particularly proud of the students who participated in the academic, sporting, cultural, fashion, and innovation competitions, describing their performances as evidence of the talent and potential among Katsina State students.

He assured that his administration would continue to identify, support, and develop talented young people across the state.

Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, Professor Adamu Abubakar, commended Governor Radda for initiating the Students’ Week, describing it as a transformational programme that goes beyond recreation.

"The significance of this programme, no doubt, goes beyond recreation. What you have provided is a platform for these young people to engage. You have inspired them and made an investment in their future," the Vice-Chancellor said.

Professor Abubakar also commended Governor Radda for his continued support for Ahmadu Bello University, noting that the Katsina State Government had supported the institution in various areas.

He said the university would continue to strengthen its relationship with Katsina State and support initiatives aimed at developing the state’s human capital.

Also speaking, the Special Assistant to the Governor on Student Matters, Muhammad Nuhu Nagaske, described the Students’ Week as more than a ceremonial gathering.

Advertisement

He said it was a strategic platform for uniting Katsina State students and promoting academic excellence, leadership, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

"One of the greatest achievements of this edition is that students were not only given the opportunity to interact directly with the government, but their voices were genuinely heard," Nagaske said.

He said recommendations from the students received immediate attention from Governor Radda, describing the administration as one that listens, responds, and delivers.

Nagaske said the Governor had directed the Head of Service to take immediate steps towards reviewing the monthly allowances of students of Colleges of Health Sciences.

He also said Governor Radda had directed KASEDA to engage students who participated in the innovation competition and provide grants to support the development of their innovations.

The Special Assistant said the government had also made progress in establishing Student Business Centres across higher institutions in the state.

He listed other reforms to include the expansion of the automatic employment policy for Katsina State first-class graduates, clearance of scholarship backlogs from 2021 to 2026, recruitment of qualified teachers, and increased support for student innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Chairman of the Katsina State Students’ Week Committee, Hon. Lawal Rufai Safana, said the initiative was designed to create a direct platform for students to engage with the Governor and government officials.

He noted that student union leaders from participating institutions were given the opportunity to present their concerns directly to the Governor, while relevant government officials were available to take note of issues concerning their respective ministries and agencies.

"This Students’ Week has connected the Governor directly with the students. They can tell him their problems, and he can give them answers," Safana said.

He said the initiative had attracted interest from other states that were exploring ways to replicate the programme.

In his remarks, the Commissioner for Land and Physical Planning, Dr. Faisal Kaita, a former President of the Katsina State Students’ Union at ABU Zaria, commended Governor Radda for creating the platform.

Dr. Kaita said his participation in student leadership over two decades ago helped him build the experience and networks that contributed to his present responsibilities.

He encouraged students to see participation in student unionism and other extracurricular activities as an opportunity to build capacity, develop leadership skills, and establish useful networks.

"Your participation in student unionism is not just about participation. It is about building your capacity, creating networks, knowing people, and training yourself to take over leadership," he said.

On his part, the Executive Secretary of the Katsina State Development Management Board (KTDMB), Dr. Mustapha Shehu, pledged to sponsor two students who emerged as winners in the football competition.

He said the two student footballers would be sponsored to attend a leadership-in-football programme in Morocco during the 2026/2027 academic session, describing the gesture as part of the Board’s efforts to identify, support, and develop young talents.

Dr. Shehu also announced an opportunity for the winner of the poetry competition to serve as the state’s "Second Voice of Development" for 12 months, to help amplify the achievements and development initiatives of the Katsina State Government.

The four-day Students’ Week featured academic competitions, sports activities, a fashion parade, cultural displays, and innovation competitions. It brought together Katsina State students studying in institutions across Kaduna, Niger, Nasarawa, Kogi, Kwara, Plateau, and the Federal Capital Territory, as well as students of the Federal College of Agriculture, Kafur, and the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Funtua.

The grand finale featured the presentation of prizes to outstanding participants who distinguished themselves in the various competitions.

The event was attended by the Honourable Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Engr. Muttaka Rabe Darma; the Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Barr. Abdullahi Garba Faskari; the Head of Service, Alhaji Falalu Bawale;  the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Hon. Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir and APC Candidate House of Representatives,Alhaji Abba Dahiru Mangal.

Also in attendance were members of the Katsina State Executive Council, Heads and Chief Executives of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), as well as professors, lecturers, deans, and directors of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

The event also attracted Local Government Chairmen, led by the ALGON Chairman, Hon. Rabo Tambaya, student leaders, representatives of various institutions, and other stakeholders.

Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed

Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Katsina State

09 August, 2026