By Our Correspondent
Katsina State Government has paid over N3.1 billion as compensation to occupants whose land were acquired for development projects in the State.
The state’s Deputy Governor, Alhaji Faruq Lawal-Jobe stated this in Katsina yesterday, during a monthly press conference.
He said that the projects include road construction, building of new and expansion of existing schools, hospitals, markets and other infrastructural projects.
According to the deputy governor, additional N2 billion has been allocated in the 2025 budget for payment of compensation for projects underway.
“This administration of Gov. Dikko Radda has also invested more than N325 million to review the master plans of Funtua, Katsina, Daura Dutsin-Ma, Malumfashi, Mani and Kankia towns.
“The 2025-2040 masterplan is aimed towards returning the state to the culture of master planning as a guide for physical development..
“These masterplans were originally prepared by a British firm ,Max Lock, in the early 70s and became outdated 25 years ago”, Lawal-Jobe said.
He explained that the state government had made all arrangements to also review the remaining four plans to further prepare for infrastructural development of other cities going into 2026.
According to him, the government has also made significant investments to revive the state Urban and Regional Planning Board.
He added that about N725 million was expended to procure heavy machineries, Hilux vehicles, and motorbikes for monitoring activities to ensure developers strictly adhere to building regulations.
Lawal-Jobe noted that the rapid population growth presents the state with various challenges that must be addressed, so as to ensure a sustainable growth for a better future.
He stated that the state government had instituted land administration reforms through the establishment of the state’s Geographic Information Service ,KATGIS.
“This is necessary to move us away from the tedious manual process of land registration and documentation that is prone to manipulation and fraud, to a technology-driven one.
“The technology is transparent, faster and generally allows efficient land record keeping, thereby reducing conflict between land owners and enhancing revenue generation.
“A transparent land resource management system requires the digitisation of land ownership records to meet the demands of the 21st century”, the deputy governor emphasised.
He said that in this regard, the government had spent over N859 million to provide all necessary equipment and facilities for the KATGIS project, including the development of proprietary software and the purchase of hardware.
According to him, the government had initiated arrangements with the Nigerian Security, Printing and Minting Company ,NSPMC, to produce highly secured Certificates of Occupancy ,C of O,
