Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has called for deliberate planning and strategic investment to ensure the state’s rapidly growing population is matched with adequate jobs, healthcare, education, and critical infrastructure.
In a message commemorating the 2026 World Population Day, Governor Radda described population growth as both a challenge and a valuable opportunity, stressing that government policies must be anchored on accurate demographic data to transform Katsina’s youthful population into a productive workforce.
“We must plan with numbers. Every child born, every young person entering the job market, and every family seeking healthcare must be accounted for in our budget and programmes,” the governor declared.
He noted that the era of planning based on assumptions must end, pledging that his administration will strengthen data collection systems, expand access to family planning services, invest heavily in skills acquisition, and create a conducive environment for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to generate employment for young people.
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Governor Radda directed all ministries, departments and agencies to align their 2026 work plans with current population statistics, noting that maternal healthcare, girl-child education, youth employment, and food security would remain top priorities under his administration’s development agenda.
He also appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations, and the media to intensify public awareness campaigns on responsible family size and the importance of birth registration as essential tools for effective national planning.
According to a statement issued on Saturday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ibrahim Mohammed, Radda also congratulated the newly inaugurated National Population Commissioner representing Katsina State, Sadiq Radda.
Radda was sworn in by President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The governor expressed confidence that the new commissioner would leverage his vast experience to ensure Katsina State receives effective representation at the National Population Commission while promoting the generation of credible population data to support sustainable development at both the state and national levels.
