World Bank to adopt Katsina’s Community Development Programme framework — Gov Radda

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has disclosed that the World Bank has expressed interest in adopting the state’s Community Development Programme (CDP) framework as a model for consideration and possible implementation in other states across Nigeria.

The governor made the disclosure while speaking at the inauguration of the Dikko Mai da Alkhairi da Alkhairi movement in Katsina, held at the Local Government Service Commission.

Governor Radda said the development followed a recent engagement with a World Bank delegation, which expressed satisfaction with the effectiveness and grassroots impact of the programme.

He said the recognition demonstrated the value of the CDP’s community-based approach to delivering government interventions and ensuring that development programmes reach people at the grassroots.

Radda commended members of the Community Development Programme for their contributions to grassroots development and for establishing the movement, describing it as an expression of appreciation by people who had witnessed the impact of his administration’s programmes in their communities.

“Today, I do not want to say too much because what our administration has done within the last three years is already speaking for itself. The people who entrusted us with leadership and expected us to deliver have come to express their appreciation,” Governor Radda said.

He recalled that when the Director-General of the Dikko Maida Alkhairi Da Alkhairi initially discussed the initiative with him, its political dimension was not fully disclosed, as the organisers believed he might not agree with it because the CDP was established primarily around the administration’s development policies.

The governor commended the CDP for taking government interventions and development initiatives to communities across the state, saying its work had helped bridge the gap between government programmes and the people.

Radda said the effectiveness of the programme had attracted the attention of development partners, particularly the World Bank delegation that recently visited the state.

According to him, the delegation indicated interest in taking the Katsina CDP framework as a model for consideration and possible adoption in other states of the country.

He emphasised that the CDP was established to serve the people of Katsina State irrespective of political affiliation, stressing that the benefits of government interventions should reach communities across the state.

The governor also urged communities to take ownership of the administration’s Katsina Tree-Plant-One-T initiative, stressing the importance of tree planting in addressing environmental challenges and securing a better future for the state.

He said the state was targeting the planting of about two million trees within one year, while encouraging individuals and communities to embrace the initiative as a collective responsibility.

Earlier, the Director-General of Maida Alkhairi Da Alkhairi, Associate Professor Kamaluddeen Kabir, explained that the philosophy behind the movement was anchored on the principle, “Hal jaza’ul ihsani illal ihsan” — “Is there any reward for good other than good?”

He said the principle captured the essence of the movement, which emerged from the experience and impact of the Community Development Programme under the Radda administration.

Kabir said that within about two years of its establishment, the CDP had taken various interventions to communities across Katsina State, including support for agriculture, fertiliser distribution, water-related initiatives and other community development schemes.

He explained that the movement was established following consultations with communities and stakeholders who had witnessed the impact of the CDP and believed that the experience should be translated into a broader grassroots platform.

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He said the movement would mobilise grassroots support for the APC through a structured leadership comprising state, zonal and ward-level executives, with structures extending to polling-unit levels to strengthen communication and mobilisation.

On his part, the APC Chairman in Katsina State, Hon. Dr Bashir Gambo Saulawa, expressed appreciation for the establishment of the movement, describing its members as important ambassadors of the administration at the grassroots.

Saulawa said the gathering demonstrated the commitment of community development members who had witnessed government interventions in their respective communities.

He urged members to communicate the achievements of the administration to the people and ensure that government programmes were properly understood at the grassroots.

The APC chairman also urged the people to assess the promises made by Governor Radda against the projects and programmes delivered by his administration.

He highlighted the recruitment of more than 10,000 teachers, construction and renovation of schools, educational opportunities for less-privileged students to study abroad, road projects, the modernisation of healthcare facilities and the renovation of Danja Dam for irrigation development.

Saulawa also cited the impact of the Katsina Youth Craft Village (KYCV), noting the increasing number of young people who had passed through the institution and acquired skills for self-reliance.

He assured that the movement would become a formidable grassroots platform within the APC and mobilise support for the administration across the state.