DIPLOMAN TIMES

Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda used engagements at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York to outline the state government's approach to attracting private capital and development partnerships, with emphasis on bankable projects, public-private partnerships and investment conditions that can translate external engagement into infrastructure, jobs and improved livelihoods.

Governor Dikko Radda said international engagement remains important to Katsina's effort to unlock new opportunities for development, investment and partnerships. Speaking during the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, he described participation in the inaugural ASIS Global Action Forum as an opportunity to engage global leaders, investors, development finance institutions, businesses and philanthropists on mobilising additional capital for sustainable development. The governor's remarks placed the emphasis not only on access to finance but also on the conditions required for investment to move from discussion to projects.

According to the governor, Katsina's experience with development interventions supported by institutions including the World Bank, African Development Bank and Islamic Development Bank demonstrates the potential of government and international partnerships when they are organised around clear development priorities. He argued that the next stage should involve stronger preparation of projects capable of attracting private investment and partnerships, rather than relying solely on the availability of financing. The approach he outlined includes developing bankable projects, strengthening public-private partnerships, using appropriate de-risking mechanisms and maintaining disciplined counterpart funding.

Radda also identified transparent monitoring and evaluation as part of the conditions required to sustain confidence around development projects. He called for investors to engage governments from the design stage, particularly in sectors where financing, infrastructure and commercial coordination need to work together. Areas highlighted in his remarks included agricultural aggregation, storage, processing, logistics, mechanisation, off-take arrangements and working capital. These areas were presented as potential channels through which investment could connect agricultural production and other economic activities to wider markets.

The governor said Katsina was open to responsible investment and partnerships capable of creating lasting value. He listed policy stability, respect for contracts, transparent procurement, security of people and assets and accountable leadership among the conditions his administration would seek to provide. The statement therefore framed international engagement as part of a broader effort to create an investment environment in which development finance and private capital can support physical infrastructure and economic activity. These remain stated policy positions rather than evidence that every proposed investment has already been secured or implemented.

Radda said the ultimate objective of the engagement should be visible in real investments, additional employment, stronger institutions and improved opportunities for residents. The remarks at the UN General Assembly therefore presented a development-finance agenda centred on converting international relationships into bankable projects and practical partnerships. The immediate position remains one of investment mobilisation and partnership building, with the delivery of specific projects dependent on subsequent financing, agreements and implementation.