Over 100,000 Girls Benefit from Governor Radda’s Reforms as Katsina Marks 2025 International Day of the Girl Child

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to the education, empowerment, and protection of every girl in the state as the world marks the 2025 International Day of the Girl Child.

Speaking on this year’s theme, “The Girl I Am, The Change I Lead: Girls on the Frontlines of Crisis,” Governor Radda said his government remains determined to build a Katsina where every girl can learn without fear, live with dignity, and lead with confidence.

“When a girl is educated and empowered, an entire family and indeed a whole community rise with her,” the governor said. “Our goal is to create opportunities for every girl in Katsina to dream freely, learn safely, and lead boldly.”

Under Governor Radda’s leadership, Katsina State has achieved landmark progress through the Adolescent Girls Initiative for Learning and Empowerment (AGILE), a partnership with the World Bank and the Federal Ministry of Education.

So far, the administration has constructed 75 new secondary schools (45 junior and 30 senior) and renovated over 150 existing schools with modern facilities such as classrooms, laboratories, water systems, and toilets.

Over 104,000 girls in 255 public secondary schools have benefited from Conditional Cash Transfers to keep them in school, while Back-to-School Campaigns have returned more than 42,000 girls to classrooms after years of dropout.

To improve access for girls in remote areas, the government introduced bicycle and transport stipends, ensuring that no child is denied education due to distance. Teachers have also been trained on gender inclusion, classroom safety, and modern teaching techniques.

Fifteen pilot schools received Mega Grants for infrastructure upgrades including ICT laboratories and libraries. The administration has also established Safe Spaces and Mentorship Clubs in Katsina, Batagarawa, Mani, and Daura in partnership with UNICEF, benefiting hundreds of vulnerable girls.

Additionally, over 955 out-of-school girls in Katsina, Kaita, Baure, and Funtua have been trained in tailoring, catering, ICT, and crafts, while another 1,395 girls have re-enrolled in formal education through community sensitisation campaigns.

Governor Radda’s government has also distributed 1,200 sanitary kits, provided scholarships and mobility aids for indigent and physically challenged female students, and transformed Skills Acquisition Centres in Katsina, Kaita, Funtua, and Baure into fully equipped training hubs.

In 2023, 455 girls graduated from these centres; 500 in 2024; and by the end of 2025, the government projects 1,000 graduates from five newly established centres in Dutsi, Charanchi, Mani, Kurfi, and Matazu.

Through the Digital Katsina Initiative, hundreds of girls have been trained in ICT, coding, and digital safety. The Katsina Girls Coding and Robotics Club, launched in partnership with Arewa Tech Fest, is grooming a new generation of innovators.

Governor Radda’s administration has also partnered with SMEDAN, ITF, and KASEDA to expand opportunities for women in agro-processing, crafts, and fashion design — boosting women’s participation in the state’s MSME sector.

To combat gender-based violence, the government established the NASIHA Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), providing free medical, legal, and psychosocial support to survivors. GBV Response Desks have also been set up in all LGA secretariats and police divisions.

Working with UNICEF, the government has developed an Alternative Care Policy for Vulnerable Children and enacted education protection laws prohibiting street hawking during school hours.

The Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP) has been expanded from three to all 34 LGAs, forming over 5,000 Women Affinity Groups (WAGs) to offer entrepreneurship training, financial literacy, and seed grants to women and adolescent girls.

Governor Radda has also championed investments in education infrastructure, including a new Girls’ Science and Islamic Studies Secondary School in Zango, equipped with modern facilities and supported by access roads, boreholes, toilets, and hostels.

To promote leadership among girls, the state launched the Katsina Girl-Child Ambassadors Network, Girls in Leadership Debates, and an Annual Girls’ Conference — platforms that encourage young girls to develop confidence and contribute to community development.

Today, more than 100,000 girls have directly benefited from Governor Radda’s education and empowerment programmes, making Katsina one of Nigeria’s top-performing AGILE states with national recognition for its achievements in gender inclusion and girl-child education.

Governor Radda called on parents, community leaders, civil society organisations, and development partners to continue working together to build “a safer, fairer, and more promising future for every girl in Katsina State.”

“Today, as we celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, I salute every girl in Katsina and beyond,” he said. “You are the change you lead, and your voice will continue to shape the brighter future we are building together.”