* Commissions Nigerian Navy’s 10,000-Litre Solar-Powered Borehole, Renovated School in Gidan Mutum Daya
* Rolls Out Katsina’s Investments in Security, Education, Healthcare, Agriculture and Infrastructure
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, yesterday commissioned a 10,000-litre solar-powered borehole and a renovated Community Day Secondary School at Gidan Mutum Daya in Kusada Local Government Area of Katsina State, executed by the Nigerian Navy under the Chief of the Naval Staff Special Intervention Quick Impact Project Scheme.
A statement signed by Ibrahim kaula Mohammed Chief Press Secretary to the Governor said the intervention, executed in honour of Rear Admiral Aminu Abdullahi, an indigene of Gidan Mutum Daya and Director of Ship Spares at the Naval Headquarters, also included the provision of classroom desks, additional toilet facilities, white marker boards and essential teaching and learning materials for students.
Governor Radda, ably represented by the Deputy Governor, Hon. Faruk Lawal, commended the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, and the Nigerian Navy for extending the intervention to Gidan Mutum Daya.
He described the projects as a practical demonstration of civil-military cooperation, stressing that effective security must be complemented by interventions that address the social and economic needs of communities.
“The Nigerian Navy has demonstrated that security goes beyond kinetic operations. Security is also about building trust with communities, responding to critical social needs and creating conditions in which people can live, learn and prosper,” he said.
Governor Radda said the provision of water infrastructure and the improvement of the school environment directly supported the state government’s human-capital development priorities, particularly its efforts to improve education and expand access to basic services.
“The Katsina State Government has continued to complement the efforts of conventional security agencies through institutional reforms, community-based security and substantial investment in security-related interventions. We have invested more than ₦36.8 billion in security-related interventions, covering operational equipment, intelligence, training and support for security personnel and victims of banditry,” he said.
He said the administration had established the Katsina State Community Watch Corps, recruited personnel for community-level security operations and provided operational assets to strengthen local intelligence and support conventional security agencies.
According to him, the government had also introduced executive measures aimed at addressing activities considered capable of facilitating criminal operations and undermining security across the state.
“Security must be accompanied by economic and social development. More than 38,000 jobs have been created through various government interventions, while more than 5,000 SMEs have accessed about ₦2.5 billion in funding support, contributing to the creation of about 15,000 jobs and the delivery of more than 200 entrepreneurship and skills-development programmes,” the Governor said.
He added that 14,450 women had been empowered with business support and start-up interventions across the 34 Local Government Areas of the state.
“Education remains central to our human-capital development agenda. We have constructed 152 schools under the AGILE programme, including three special model schools, rehabilitated more than 3,090 classrooms, and provided 20,000 teachers with tablets and digital training. We have also upgraded the former Department of Vocational and Technical Education to a full-fledged Ministry of Higher, Vocational and Technical Education,” Radda said.
The Governor said the administration had also established a girls’ skills acquisition centre in Katsina, where more than 2,000 students had been trained and equipped with practical skills to enhance their economic opportunities.
“Similarly, in healthcare, 271 of the state’s 361 wards have benefited from upgraded and equipped Primary Healthcare Centres, while six Comprehensive Health Centres have been upgraded to General Hospitals. We have recruited 808 health workers through the Health Services Management Board and 1,020 personnel through the Primary Healthcare Agency, alongside investments in dialysis, diagnostic imaging, hospital theatres, health insurance and emergency medical services,” he said.
Radda added that the state had procured 15 advanced life-support ambulances and 238 tricycle ambulances to strengthen emergency medical response and improve access to healthcare across the state.
“On agriculture, we have continued to support farmers through subsidised fertiliser distribution, improved seeds, irrigation interventions and mechanisation. The state has procured 400 tractors and 10 combine harvesters, while 361 young people are being trained at Songhai Farms in modern agriculture, agro-processing and agribusiness, with each expected to receive ₦1 million in seed capital upon completion,” the Governor said.
He said the administration was also implementing irrigation and water-development interventions, including the dredging of selected dams and the drilling of boreholes to improve domestic water supply and support small-scale irrigation.
“On infrastructure, we have completed and are implementing major road projects aimed at improving mobility, urban connectivity and access to economic centres. These include the Eastern Bypass corridor covering about 24.5 kilometres and the Yandaki–Shinkafi–Kofar Sauri road of about 8.1 kilometres, while work is ongoing on other major roads across Katsina, Funtua, Daura, Bakori, Malumfashi, Mashi and Kankia,” he sai
Governor Radda further disclosed that the state government had awarded contracts for the reticulation of Dutsinma, Charanchi, Rimi, Batagarawa, Safana and Katsina from Zobe Dam, with work ongoing.
The Governor said the presence of the Nigerian Navy in Katsina through interventions such as the Gidan Mutum Daya project had further strengthened the relationship between security institutions and local communities.
“We assure the Chief of the Naval Staff of the continued support of the Katsina State Government for military operations and other lawful security activities in the state,” he said.
Radda congratulated Rear Admiral Aminu Abdullahi on the recognition and the development project executed in his community, commending him for facilitating an intervention that responds to identified needs in Gidan Mutum Daya.
He urged the people of the community to take ownership of the facilities, protect them from damage and ensure their proper maintenance so that they could continue to serve present and future generations.
Earlier, the Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas, ably represented by the Director of Planning at Naval Headquarters, Rear Admiral Adamu Yahaya, congratulated the people of Gidan Mutum Daya and Rear Admiral Aminu Abdullahi on the completion of the projects.
He said the Nigerian Navy recognised that security was strengthened and sustained when communities were empowered and their basic development needs addressed.
According to him, the Chief of the Naval Staff Special Intervention Quick Impact Project Scheme was designed to respond to critical needs in underserved communities while strengthening trust and cooperation between the Armed Forces and civilians.
He said the Gidan Mutum Daya intervention reflected the Navy’s commitment to supporting communities through projects in education, healthcare, basic infrastructure and water, sanitation and hygiene.
Rear Admiral Yahaya said the projects comprised the comprehensive renovation of the Community Day Secondary School, provision of classroom desks, additional toilet facilities and white marker boards, as well as a 10,000-litre solar-powered borehole to improve access to water.
He said the intervention would provide a more conducive learning environment for students and teachers, promote hygiene and contribute to improved academic performance.
He said the projects were executed under the Chief of Naval Staff Special Intervention Quick Impact Projects initiative in honour of Rear Admiral Aminu Abdullahi, an indigene of Gidan Mutum Daya.
Also Speaking, Rear Admiral Aminu Abdullahi, said the projects were selected based on identified needs within Gidan Mutum Daya and urged residents to use the facilities responsibly and ensure their continued maintenance.
“The initiative is aimed at strengthening the bond of trust between the Nigerian Navy and the people, as building robust civil-military cooperation remains an important component of the Navy’s engagement with communities since 2004,” he said.
The commissioning ceremony also featured the distribution of reading and writing materials, mathematical sets, school bags and other essential learning materials to the school students to support their academic activities.
The commissioning ceremony was attended by senior military officers, government officials, traditional rulers, community leaders, education stakeholders and residents of Gidan Mutum Daya.
