Katsina State Governor, Dr Dikko Radda, has signed the 2026 budget bill into law, maintaining the total at N897.86 billion.

The budget, themed Building Your Future 111, was signed by the governor on Wednesday afternoon in the Government House chamber.

The governor presented the bill to the State House of Assembly on November 4, and the lawmakers approved it within 21 days.

The amount the governor presented before the house was exactly what the lawmakers approved, with Recurrent Expenditure at 18 per cent and Capital Expenditure at 81 per cent.

Speaking, Radda said that the budget details were compiled only after opinions from people across the 361 wards in the 34 councils were gathered through town hall meetings.

He mentioned that more than 70,000 people attended these town hall meetings, where they listed what they wanted the government to do for them, which were then incorporated into the budget.

Radda commended the lawmakers for their sleepless nights and for shelving their holidays to sit and deliberate on the budget.

He emphasised that the synergy between the government and the lawmakers was commendable, calling on them to ensure that the cooperation continued unabated.

He said the government had sent several bills to the house, which have been passed into law, adding that more bills would be coming in the coming months for the lawmakers’ consideration.

The governor, however, called on the lawmakers to ensure they fulfil their oversight functions by following up on projects and programmes to be executed in the budget.

On his part, the Speaker of the House, Hon Nasiru Yahaya, said the lawmakers sat for three weeks and asked questions on the budget to ensure it met the people’s expectations.

Yahaya said after the said period, the house decided to pass the same amount the state government had presented before the house.

He prayed for the successful implementation of the budget so that the people would enjoy the dividends of democracy.

In other news, the Katsina State Government is set to construct water conservation structures worth N14.05 billion in Faskari Local Government Area.

The project, to be constructed in collaboration with the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) Programme, aims to combat climate change, desertification, and environmental degradation.

Governor Dikko Radda formally handed over the site to the construction company on Tuesday evening, located in the Sabon Layin Galadima community in Faskari.

Speaking, Radda reiterated his administration’s commitment to strengthening water security, restoring degraded lands, and enhancing the resilience of frontline communities in the state.

The governor said effective water conservation remains crucial for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), boosting food production, supporting pastoral and livestock communities, expanding domestic water access, and building resilience against extreme climate conditions.