The Katsina State Government has approved a 20-megawatt solar power project for 11 critical public facilities, with the intervention projected to save the state about ₦7 billion.
The approval was given at the 17th regular meeting of the Katsina State Executive Council for 2026, presided over by Governor Radda.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Power and Energy, Dr. Hafiz Ahmed, said the project would involve the installation of Balance-of-System accessories for solar photovoltaic inverters and battery energy storage systems.
The facilities include Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, three waterworks and a booster station, General Amadi Rimi Hospital, Turai Yar’Adua Maternity Hospital, the Katsina State House of Assembly, and the Katsina State High Court.
Ahmed said the 11 facilities account for 93.4 percent of the state government’s electricity expenditure. He added that shifting part of their power needs to solar would reduce spending on grid electricity and diesel generators.
According to him, the savings could offset the project’s cost in about three and a half years.
Ahmed also said Katsina had zero power-generation capacity when Governor Radda assumed office but now has more than 30MW. The state is targeting 70MW by 2031 under an Integrated Resource Plan developed in partnership with Power Africa.
Beyond the power sector, the council approved a monthly ₦10,000 allowance for 2,500 youths. The Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Surajo Yazeed-Abukur, said the program is aimed at supporting beneficiaries’ sources of income.
The council also approved the maiden Katsina State Inter-Wards Grassroots Football Tournament, as well as external works at the Special Model Secondary Schools in Jikamshi and Dumurkul.
In education, the council adopted recommendations from the Teachers Voice Survey on improving teachers’ English proficiency and approved the Instructional Leadership Training Programme.
For road infrastructure, approval was given for the purchase of a new Caterpillar asphalt paver for the Katsina State Roads Maintenance Agency to support road construction and maintenance.
The council also approved motorcycles for each of the state’s 34 local government areas to improve access to rural and hard-to-reach communities.
In healthcare, contracts were approved for the renovation and expansion of general hospitals in Jibia, Batsari, and Ingawa. The Primary Health Care Centre in Bindawa will also be upgraded to a Maternal and Child Hospital, while doctors’ quarters at the General Hospital, Katsina, will be renovated.
The council further approved a committee to advise the government on measures to address environmental and infrastructural threats.
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