Amid insecurity and other challenges, Katsina State is rising above its limitations, delivering a development report card that is changing the fortunes of the state with visible impacts, and steadily convincing skeptics, writes Omolabake Fasogbon.
From a distance, it was easy to dismiss Katsina State’s early promises as political propaganda, especially given Nigeria’s general track record with unkept commitments. Nigeria’s governance record points to this. The World Bank’s Worldwide Governance Indicators Report rated the country -1.01 out of a possible +2.5 on Government Effectiveness in 2024, placing Nigeria among the bottom 20 per cent globally. The index, which measures the quality of public service delivery and credibility of government policies, shows the country has consistently struggled in nearly three decades of assessment.
Evidence emerging from Katsina, however, suggests a shift. A BudgIT-backed Tracka report on project delivery across 30 states ranked Katsina first with an 85.84 per cent project completion rate in the federal capital budget cycle. Out of 114 projects worth N26.79 billion reviewed in the state, 89 were completed, 17 ongoing, while none was abandoned.
These figures show development in Katsina is moving beyond policy statements into measurable impact, even amid security threats. Growth is spreading across sectors of agriculture, education, health, and revenue, among others, reflecting the principle that true development happens when no area is left behind. The state’s internally generated revenue (IGR) proves it, rising from N400 million to N3 billion monthly.
