By Benson Daniel
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has presented a proposed N828.64 billion budget for the 2027 financial year to the Katsina State House of Assembly, with nearly 77 per cent of the spending plan earmarked for capital projects.
Tagged “Building Your Future IV,” the proposed budget places capital expenditure at N637.91 billion, representing 76.98 per cent of the total, while N190.73 billion, or 23.02 per cent, is allocated to recurrent expenditure.
Presenting the appropriation bill before lawmakers, Radda said the administration adopted a more disciplined and realistic approach in preparing the fiscal plan, taking into account the state’s expected revenue and available funding sources.
The 2027 proposal is N69.23 billion lower than the approved 2026 budget. The governor said the reduction reflected a cautious assessment of projected revenue and expenditure, with the government seeking to maintain fiscal balance and reduce the risk of funding shortfalls.
Radda said the budget was developed around the administration’s development priorities, with major attention given to infrastructure, education, agriculture, healthcare and rural development.
The proposed spending plan also incorporates the outcome of a citizens’ budget exercise conducted across all 361 wards in the state. Residents were given the opportunity to identify and rank projects they considered most important to their communities, with the first priority from each ward incorporated into the 2027 budget framework.
The governor described the process as an effort to make the budget more responsive to the needs of residents and ensure that government spending reflects priorities identified at the grassroots.
Under the proposal, the economic sector is expected to receive significant attention, alongside social services and administration. Education, works, housing and transport, agriculture and livestock development, health and rural development were earlier identified among the key areas of capital spending.
The state government had projected the budget to be financed through internally generated revenue, capital receipts and other expected receipts. The earlier approved framework put independent revenue at about N95.77 billion, capital receipts at N234.30 billion and other expected receipts at N487.81 billion.
The presentation now places the proposal before the lawmakers for scrutiny, debate and consideration before possible passage into law.
The Katsina State House of Assembly is expected to examine the estimates and subject the various allocations to legislative review as part of the budget approval process.
If passed and assented to, the 2027 budget will provide the financial framework for the Radda administration’s programmes and projects across the state during the next fiscal year.
The governor’s presentation comes as state governments across Nigeria continue to adjust their spending plans to changing revenue conditions while attempting to balance infrastructure investment with the rising cost of running government.
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