Katsina and the macro economics of infrastructural dev

The state is vital for agricultural production, for commerce and it has been a strategic centre of international Trans-Saharan trade for centuries until the emergence of Kano as a commercial hub of Sub Saharan Africa in the early 19th century. Ever since then, the state of Katsina people as viable options for the transformation of […]

The state is vital for agricultural production, for commerce and it has been a strategic centre of international Trans-Saharan trade for centuries until the emergence of Kano as a commercial hub of Sub Saharan Africa in the early 19th century. Ever since then, the state of Katsina people as viable options for the transformation of the regional and strategic commercial interests of the people living within the central and western part of the sub Saharan region has continued to grow for decades even after the independence of Nigeria as a sovereign country in 1960.
The decision of the colonialists to site the first elementary school in the region was predicated on this fact and even after the relocation of the institute to Zaria (which later became Barewa College) Katsina has continued to serve as a nucleus of economic development of the region.
The dissolution of the regional government and the emergence of states as units of government have done little to reduce the significance of Katsina as a vital route to the economies of many West African states. Over an estimated 3000 trucks of grains and other domestic and industrial required goods and services pass through the state to other parts of the country.
More than the Benin republic-Nigeria borders to the South West, the Katsina-Maradi border serves as a more strategic linkage between Nigeria and other West African countries. It is this significance that places a great burden on the government and people of Katsina state to provide conducive atmosphere for this important trade and route to continue to flourish for the benefit of the people of West Africa. Governments after governments are therefore forced to introduce policies that will sustain these relationships especially with the coming of the community of West African treaty, ECOWAS.
Subsequent military administrations grappled with the growing positive burden of sustaining these important routes coupled with the demands expected to service the growing demands of the people living within these communities both in Nigeria and in the adjourning peoples in other countries especially in Niger republic.
It is in continuation of this responsibility that the administration of Governor Shema introduced concerted and total infrastructural development where the overall concept was to move the entire state within a frame work of strategic infrastructure development through mass road networks, drainages, hospitals, schools, and other integrated mechanisms to fast tract the social economic development of the state.
This concept has been working so well that today no town, city or rural area is left behind in the provision of social amenities and infrastructures in the entire state. This inclusiveness is achieved through carrying the whole community in the decision making process as far as project allocation is concerned through the community development committees.
In the last six years over 100 road networks have been constructed, rehabilitated or dualised in the state, this is apart from the huge sums committed in the upgrading and internalization of the Katsina airport to compliment the infrastructural development of the state. The entire state is now intertwined making the movement of goods and services within the state easier and serving the broader ECOWAS commitment.
Electricity supply is equally given priority with over 300 communities connected with the national grid in the state; this is apart from the massive rural electricity projects across the state. Katsina state could today be described as a hub of infrastructures in the country.
As at today, not so many local governments in the country boast of
dualised road networks. But in Katsina state, all roads at the major local government councils have been dualised with street lights. Over 30 town’s roads have been dualised in the last five years and several others will be dualised before next year.
In the last five years also, over 4000 housing units were constructed across all the local government councils of the state to improve shelter to the ordinary man in the state. Many more houses are today under construction and by the end of year several other thousand houses will be constructed in the state as part of the housing for all project of the state government.
In the area of transportation the state government has acquired over 200 vehicles including over 20 luxury buses to part of efforts to improve the transportation sector and reduce the menace of road accidents accessioned by the poor transport system in the state.
Water provision is another area that has seen massive investment in the last five years and especially in the last one year with over 1000 communities having access to portable water through the massive borehole construction in all the nooks and crannies of the state. Over 300 solar powered water works, several urban water works, semi-urban water works and over 1000 rural water supply programme through the millennium development goals initiative.
One of the biggest infrastructural achievement so far recorded was in the area of education where several billions of naira was injected to ensure the provision of one of the biggest infrastructure in the education sector of anywhere in the country. Over N70 has been expended in this sector in the last few years alone. The same massive infrastructural investments are done in the health, agriculture, solid minerals, human resources and youth empowerment as well as in women development. All these are factors responsible for the realization by many groups, organizations and governments of the visionary, dedication and commitment of Governor Ibrahim Shehu Shema since his assumption of office five years ago.
The most striking aspect of this massive investment is the rare prudence, accountability and humbleness shown by the governor in the management of the state’s scarce resources that today people in the state are really celebrating the return of democracy day with hopes of many more amenities to come.
Nagado wrote from No 8 Unguwar Dabino, Dutsinma. [email protected]