In the days of our forefathers, a king’s visit to a distant province would be heralded with drumbeats, coordinated dancing and merriment. The visiting royalty would be showered with gifts and foods befitting his status, and the host would spare no expense to impress the august visitor.
In modern Nigeria, such visits have their own choreography, their own rhythms and expectations. But what we witnessed in Katsina last Friday was something altogether different – a validation not just to traditional hospitality but to proven governance.
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s two-day working visit to Katsina State revealed much about both the visitor and the host. It was a meeting of minds, an encounter between a president trying to craft a new course for a troubled nation and a governor who has, quietly but effectively, been building the foundations of progress and prosperity in his sub-national.
The moment the presidential jet taxied to a halt at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Airport Katsina, the script deviated from the usual ceremonial pleasantries. Rather than rushing to the waiting government house and its officials, the President made a deliberate stop to address Operation Fasan Yamma troops comprising officers and men of the Nigerian armed forces putting their lives at grave risks for the safety of all of us.
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Standing before the men and women in uniform, Mr Tinubu accorded them the respect that has been missing in our national conversation. He called them “the silent guardians of our democracy, the defenders of our national integrity” – words, to me struck a chord with a military battling multiple security challenges across the country.
The President’s charge to them was equally loud: “Bring an end to the menace of insecurity and reclaim every inch of our land.” These were not empty words spoken for effect; they were a recognition of what the security forces have been doing and an encouragement to do more. It was the President’s acknowledgement that without security, all other governance efforts are like building castles on quicksand.
From the airport to Hajj Camp Roundabout–Barhim to Al-Qalam Roundabout and UMYU Road to Tashar Bala then back to the government house, the roads of Katsina told their own story. A mammoth crowd – children, men, women, youth, students, traders – lined both sides of the road, chanting “Maraba Da Zuwa Mr President! Sai Dikko Radda!” with unmistakable enthusiasm.
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The cynical might dismiss this as the usual rent-a-crowd phenomenon that plagues Nigerian politics, but those of us who understand the rhythm of the North know better. The Katsina people were not out there because they had been paid to be; they were there because they recognised genuine leadership and good work of their governor, Dikko Umaru Radda and the need to honour President Tinubu.
I want you to be clear about this – if Governor Radda had not been up to his task, the turnout would have been something else entirely. The people of Katsina know the difference between performance and promises, between rhetoric and results.
They have seen governors come and go, they have heard beautiful speeches and grand visions that evaporated with the morning dew. What they see in Radda is different – a commitment to “Building Your Future” that is already manifesting in concrete projects and tangible progress.
The honour the President granted Katsina is indeed uncommon. Since assuming office, except for Lagos, Mr Tinubu has not passed a night in any state during his visits. But in Katsina, he stayed, not out of protocol necessity but out of recognition for what Governor Radda has achieved in less than two years. As the President himself put it, Radda is “a governor of honesty, integrity and commitment.” High praise indeed from a Jagaban not known for casual compliments.
The commissioning of the Katsina State Agricultural Mechanisation Centre was perhaps the most significant event of the presidential visit. With 400 tractors and several other implements already assembled there, Governor Radda is tackling food insecurity head-on, not just in Katsina but potentially across the North and Nigeria at large. Remember we are in a country where agriculture remains the largest employer of labour but is still largely unmechanized, this initiative is deserves all applause.
Then there is the 24-km Katsina Eastern Bypass, completed within 18 months and named after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. After the launching, the President led other high-level stakeholders to test drive the road down to the state government house. That on a side! Roads in Nigeria have become metaphors for governance – often promised, rarely delivered, frequently abandoned and sadly became a death trap.
That Governor Radda completed this key infrastructure project without jettisoning the quality in such a short time speaks volumes about his administration’s focus and efficiency. It is a physical manifestation of his governance philosophy – practical, focused, and results-oriented.
What we are witnessing in Katsina under Radda is not just about projects or programs but about process. It is about governance that sees beyond the next election to the next generation. It is about leadership that understands that the true measure of success is not in the accolades of the moment but in the enduring impact on the lives of the people. That’s why, in every occasion you see the governor hammering on ‘Building Your Future.’
This is why the people lined the streets, not out of obligation but out of genuine appreciation. This is why the President stayed, not out of ceremonial necessity but out of respect for achievements that align with his Renewed Hope vision for Nigeria. And this is why, in the coming months, the President shall hopefully return to flag off more historic and landmark projects in the state.
Mr Radda’s Katsina is celebrating good work. His Katsina is becoming a model of what is possible when leadership works with reality, when governance delivers tangible benefits rather than distributing patronage. His “Building Your Future” is a commitment that is being fulfilled daily through strategic investments in agriculture, infrastructure, enhanced security, topnoch education, quality healthcare delivery and human capital development.
Governor Radda understands that true governance is about planting trees under whose shade you may never sit. It is about building for the future, not just managing the present.
President Tinubu’s visit to Katsina alongside some Nigerian governors led by the NGF Chairman Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Minister of Art, Culture and the Creative Economy, Minister of Information and National Orientation and that of Housing and Urban Development and notable business moguls and presidential appointees were more than just another schedule in the presidential calendar; it was a recognition of governance done right. It was an acknowledgment that Radda’s approach to leadership – focused, efficient, and people-centered – is what Nigeria needs across all levels of government.
Now that we’ve watched the presidential jet take off from Katsina Airport, we need to remind ourselves what it left behind. Not memories of a visit but a benchmark for governance. Mr Radda’s Katsina is showing that with the right leadership, the right vision, and the right commitment, Nigeria’s states can indeed become centres of development and progress.
Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor Dikko Radda. He writes from the Home of Hospitality (Katsina State).
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