Katsina State Government has announced a groundbreaking commitment to allocate 30% of its annual budget to climate-resilient infrastructure and environmental sustainability efforts. Governor Dikko Umaru Radda made this declaration during the inaugural Katsina Climate Action and Green Investment Summit held recently in Abuja.
Speaking at the summit, Governor Radda emphasized the state’s dedication to addressing the pressing challenges of climate change while driving sustainable economic growth. Central to the strategy is the launch of the Katsina State Green Growth Agenda (KAGGA), a comprehensive blueprint aimed at aligning development initiatives with environmental conservation.
As part of the KAGGA framework, the state is setting up a Green Investment Fund with an initial ₦5 billion commitment from public funds. The fund is designed to de-risk environmentally friendly projects and attract private sector investments into green initiatives across the state.
Governor Radda also unveiled a $500 million renewable energy partnership with Genesis Energy Group. The collaboration seeks to boost energy access by deploying solar mini-grids with battery storage systems to electrify underserved communities and key public institutions, including the Government House and Katsina State General Hospital.
The Katsina Green Growth Agenda is structured around four key pillars: climate-smart agriculture, renewable energy leadership, ecosystem restoration, and green industrialization. Key targets include restoring over 1,115 hectares of degraded land through agroforestry practices, planting 10 million trees by 2030, and establishing 2,000 climate-resilient farming cooperatives, with a focus on empowering women and youth.
Already, the state has recorded notable achievements with the completion of major climate-focused infrastructure projects, such as a ₦10.8 billion riverbank protection retaining wall in flood-prone Jibia, an ₦11.2 billion stormwater drainage system in Katsina metropolis, and the deployment of 120 solar-powered boreholes, with 60 more currently under construction.
Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, lauded Katsina State’s bold climate agenda, stating that the state’s proactive steps position it as a leader among Nigerian subnational governments in the fight against climate change. He encouraged other states to align their climate initiatives with national frameworks such as the Climate Change Act and Nigeria’s 2060 net-zero emission commitment.
The commitment by Katsina sets a new benchmark for climate action at the subnational level, highlighting the critical role states can play in achieving national and global environmental sustainability goals.
