The Katsina State House of Assembly has continued its deliberations on the 2026 budget proposals of key ministries, during a session held by the Appropriation Committee under the chairmanship of Hon. Lawal Yaro, member representing Musawa local government area.
Hikaya Newspaper reports that on Monday, November 17, 2025, the committee received presentations from the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the newly established Ministry of Livestock Development and its agencies, as well as the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
The Commissioner for Agriculture, Hon. Aliyu Lawal Zakariyya, together with the Commissioner for Livestock Development, Professor Ahmed Bakori Muhammad, stated that the total amount required stands at ₦10.5 billion. They explained that ₦5 billion is allocated for the purchase of agricultural machinery, ₦2 billion for the rehabilitation of the Songhai Agricultural Development Centre, and ₦200 million for grain purchase and storage.
The Managing Director of KTARDA, Alhaji Abubakar Dabo, defended the agency’s ₦4.2 billion proposal, noting that the Fadama (NG-CARES) programme received ₦2.3 billion, the seed improvement programme received ₦1 billion, while the Youth Fadama programme (Guy Programme) was allocated ₦500 million. Similarly, the Chairman of the River Basin Development Authority, Engr. Saleem Suleiman, presented a ₦1.27 billion budget, which includes ₦400 million for the rehabilitation of the Sulma Dam and ₦450 million for the purchase of new construction machinery and tractors.
For emergency management, the Executive Secretary of SEMA, Hajiya Binta Husaini, disclosed that their total budget stands at ₦3.8 billion, including Federal Government support for flood mitigation. She explained that ₦300 million is for food items, while another ₦300 million is allocated for other essential relief materials.
In conclusion, Hon. Lawal Yaro cautioned ministries and agencies against inserting unverifiable expenditures in their proposals and urged strict adherence to budgetary guidelines. Representatives of the local governments emphasized the need to strengthen revenue generation mechanisms to boost the state’s economic capacity.