In a moment that has further solidified his rising profile as a transformative leader, Katsina State Governor Malam Dikko Umar Radda has been named Aso Multimedia’s Best Performing Governor of the Year 2025.
The prestigious honour, conferred at a colourful ceremony in Abuja on June 13, celebrates Governor Radda’s dynamic leadership and sweeping reforms in infrastructure, education, healthcare, security and economic empowerment that have set Katsina on a new path of progress.
According to a statement issued by the governor’s chief press secretary, Ibrahim Kaula, stated that the commissioner for women affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Yar’adua, and the director general of protocol, Alhaji Umar Bishir Ibrahim, represented the governor, as he dedicated the award to the resilient women, ambitious youth, diligent civil servants and people of Katsina State.
Accepting the plaque on the governor’s behalf, Hajiya Hadiza described the award as a testament to a governance style defined by compassion, accountability, and purposeful service delivery.
She highlighted landmark initiatives such as the Community Development Project (CDP), a first-of-its-kind grassroots programme that empowers communities to set priorities.
The commissioner reeled out a catalogue of achievements under the Radda administration: a 30 per cent affirmative action policy for women’s representation, billions of naira invested in women’s grants, goat rearing projects, nutrition and maternal health, alongside the massive overhaul of primary healthcare centres and the construction of a specialist hospital with cutting-edge diagnostic capacity.
In agriculture, Governor Radda’s administration has launched extensive irrigation schemes and distributed thousands of tonnes of fertiliser to boost food production, while positioning Katsina as a mechanised farming hub through a modern tractor assembly plant.
Education has equally benefited, with over 7,000 new teachers recruited under the S-Power scheme, and free WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB registration for more than 54,000 students to remove financial barriers to secondary education.
Security has seen a notable boost with the creation of the Katsina Community Watch Corps, which has recruited over 1,500 operatives and deployed advanced security vehicles and equipment to counter banditry in frontline communities.
Hajiya Hadiza emphasised that massive investments in roads, rural infrastructure, and a revamped transport system would improve the state’s connectivity and ease of movement.
“This award is proof that good governance is possible when leaders listen, plan and act with the people’s welfare at heart. It is a victory for every mother, youth and civil servant who continues to believe in our collective dream for a better Katsina,” she said.
The event drew dignitaries from government, media, business and civil society, all applauding Governor Radda’s track record of impactful leadership that has turned challenges into opportunities for growth and hope for millions in Katsina State.
