Governor Dikko Radda on Saturday inaugurated statewide ward-level town hall meetings to gather citizens’ input to prepare the 2027 budget.

Speaking at the inauguration in Radda, Charanchi Local Government Area, the governor said the exercise underscored his administration’s commitment to inclusive governance, transparency, accountability, and citizens’ participation.

The governor said the consultations would be held simultaneously across all 361 political wards in the state’s 34 local government areas to enable residents to identify projects and programmes that reflect their most pressing needs.

According to the governor, the initiative builds on the success of the maiden edition conducted in 2025, whose recommendations informed the preparation of the 2026 budget.

“This is not merely another meeting. It is a continuation of the promise we made that governance must begin by listening to the people.

“Every citizen, regardless of political affiliation, age, gender, religion, or social status, has another opportunity to influence government decisions and identify projects that matter most to their communities,” he said.

Mr Radda said the government had recorded significant progress in infrastructure, agriculture, healthcare, education, water supply, social protection, youth empowerment, security, and community development through projects contained in the 2026 budget.

He, however, acknowledged that limited resources made it impossible to implement all requests within a single budget cycle.

“No genuine request will be ignored. Where immediate implementation is not possible, such requests will remain under consideration for subsequent budgets and interventions,” he said.

The governor urged participants to prioritise projects capable of delivering the greatest impact in education, healthcare, agriculture, water supply, economic empowerment, environmental sustainability, youth employment, women’s development, and security.

He also called on women, youths, persons with disabilities, farmers, traders, artisans, and community associations to actively participate in the consultations.

Mr Radda stressed that sustainable development could only be achieved when communities participated in identifying projects, monitoring implementation, and ensuring value for public funds.

He urged community development officers, welfare officers, education officers, local government officials, traditional institutions, and civil society organisations to ensure the consultations were peaceful, transparent, inclusive, and properly documented.

The governor commended the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning and the Katsina State Community Development Programme for coordinating the exercise across the state.

He also appreciated development partners, security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, local government councils, and other stakeholders for supporting citizens’ participation in governance.

Mr Radda expressed confidence that the consultations would further strengthen the partnership between the government and the people and ensure that public investments addressed communities’ real priorities.

He thereafter officially opened the second statewide ward-level town hall meetings to collect citizens’ input for the 2027 budget.

Earlier, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Alhaji Malik Anas, said the Radda administration made history in 2025 by conducting budget consultations across all 361 wards in Katsina State.

He said many of the recommendations from the exercise were already being implemented in key sectors, including education, healthcare, water supply, agriculture, and rural infrastructure.

Mr Anas assured participants that all submissions from the consultations would be documented, analysed, and considered in the state’s planning process, subject to available resources and government priorities.

He urged citizens to prioritise realistic, impactful projects during the consultations and appealed for continued support for the Radda administration’s policies and programmes.

(NAN)