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Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, has reaffirmed the readiness of the State Government to build strong, strategic and mutually beneficial partnerships with the Republic of Poland across critical sectors, including agriculture, livestock, security, education, mining, technology, culture and investment.
The governor made this known today during a high-level engagement with the Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr Michał Cygan, during his official visit to the Polish Embassy in Abuja.
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Mr Radda thanked Polish Embassy for the cordial relationship and the opportunity to deepen cooperation, stressing that Katsina is determined to move from goodwill to concrete, institutional and private-sector driven partnerships.
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“Katsina State is an agrarian state, with over 90 per cent of our people engaged in agriculture and the agricultural value chain, mostly as smallholder farmers. We have completed a comprehensive baseline survey of more than 440,000 farmers, capturing their data, land size and location. This database is guiding our planning, targeting of interventions and efforts to improve productivity,” Governor Radda stated.
He explained that while the state is investing in mechanisation and farm inputs, critical support is required in improved seed technology, seed enhancement, post-harvest handling, storage and value addition. He listed major crops cultivated in the state to include maize, millet, wheat, rice, groundnut, cotton, sesame, hibiscus, soybean and others.
“Low productivity is largely due to poor seed quality and weak post-harvest systems, which lead to significant losses. With improved seeds, modern processing, storage and strong value-chain development, yields can rise sharply and post-harvest losses can be drastically reduced,” the governor stressed.
On livestock development, he disclosed that the state is establishing a modern meat processing plant and adopting global best practices in feedlot and abattoir operations, following recent exposure to large-scale facilities abroad capable of processing up to 2,000 cattle per day.
“These interventions in agro-processing and value addition are aimed at revamping our economy, creating jobs, reducing poverty and strengthening food security,” he added.
In the solid minerals sector, Governor Radda revealed that the state possesses significant mineral deposits and has engaged a German firm, Geoscan, which has completed comprehensive geotechnical and geological surveys.
He said the state also holds relevant mining licences and that detailed reports will be shared with prospective partners to guide investment and open new areas for collaboration.
On security, the governor highlighted the impact of the Community Watch Corps, locally recruited, trained and equipped, which has strengthened intelligence gathering and community-based security responses. He said collaboration with conventional security agencies, supported by improved equipment and logistics, has led to a significant reduction in insecurity across the state.
“We have recorded remarkable progress, and we are also preparing for the future, including the evolving framework for state policing, with emphasis on modern equipment, drones, surveillance technology and rapid response capabilities,” he said.
In the education sector, Governor Radda recalled existing partnerships with Egypt and China, under which Katsina students are studying medicine, artificial intelligence and biotechnology through scholarship arrangements. He expressed readiness to establish similar cooperation with Polish universities through exchange programmes, joint research, staff capacity building and institutional linkages.
Mr Radda also appreciated Poland’s participation in Katsina’s cultural activities, particularly the Durbar, describing the display of Polish traditional attire as a symbol of cultural exchange and shared values. He welcomed the proposal for the establishment of a joint technical committee to follow up on the discussions, identify concrete areas of cooperation, coordinate engagements and facilitate visits by investors, universities and technical institutions from both sides.
“Our doors are open. Katsina State is ready to partner with Poland in security, education, agriculture, livestock, mining, technology, culture and investment. We look forward to translating today’s engagements into practical, sustainable and mutually beneficial outcomes,” the governor affirmed.
Earlier, the Polish Ambassador, Mr Cygan, commended the speed with which the engagement was arranged, describing it as a clear shift from dialogue to action. He recalled his earlier visit to Katsina during the Durbar Festival, which deepened his interest in the state and in exploring concrete areas of cooperation.
The ambassador said Poland has strong capabilities in security, education, agriculture, energy, information technology, cyber security, mining, railways, space technology, pharmaceuticals, defence equipment and food production. He added that Poland is a diversified economy of over one trillion dollars with a population of about 40 million.
He identified security and education as immediate priority areas for collaboration and expressed interest in understanding Nigeria’s evolving security architecture, including the prospects of state policing, to ensure effective and well-aligned partnerships.
Mr Cygan disclosed plans to engage Polish and European business leaders and export agencies with a view to organising a structured delegation of investors and institutions to Katsina State.
He also pledged to facilitate a business roundtable that will bring together Katsina and Polish business communities, chambers of commerce, universities and security institutions to establish direct working contacts and translate discussions into concrete projects.
“The key outcome of today’s meeting is the establishment of practical cooperation mechanisms that will link our institutions, private sectors and people for mutually beneficial and sustainable development,” the ambassador stated.
Those in attendance included the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir; the Principal Private Secretary, Abdullahi Aliyu Turaji; Shamsu Sule, Board Member, North West Development Commission; Ambassador Hussaini Coomassie; Mrs Hadiza Maikudi, Special Adviser on Intergovernmental and Development Partners.
Also present were Umar Usman Machika, Ambassador of the United Nations State of Cherokee; as well as the Deputy Head of Mission and the First Secretary of the Polish Embassy.
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