Katsina, Nigeria (August 6, 2024) – The Katsina State Government has formally appealed to the Federal Government to reconsider and potentially revive over 74 abandoned projects scattered across the state.

The call was made by Dr. Faisal Kaita, the Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning, during a stakeholders’ town hall meeting held in Katsina on Tuesday. The meeting was facilitated by the Office of the Personal Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Constituency Affairs, Alhaja Khadijat Omotayo-Kareem.

Dr. Kaita highlighted that many of these projects were initiated by previous administrations but have since been left incomplete. He emphasized the importance of several key projects, including the dualization of the Katsina-Kano road, the expansion of the Umaru Musa-Yar’adua airport, and the Katsina-Daura-Maradi rail project.

“The Katsina-Kano road project, for instance, has seen progress up to Gidan Mutum-Daya in Kano, but the Katsina segment remains abandoned,” Kaita said. He attributed the abandonment to issues with compensation payments to residents affected by the road construction.

Kaita pointed out that while compensation for the Kano segment had been covered by the Federal Government, the same should apply to the Katsina portion. He stressed that the road not only connects Katsina and Kano but also links Nigeria with other parts of Africa.

The commissioner also noted that the Katsina State Government had previously addressed the compensation issue but faced setbacks from the Federal Ministry of Works. The Federal Government had proposed appointing property valuers to assess the affected areas and submit reports to the state government for payment.

“If the Federal Government insists that the state should handle the compensation, we have our own building valuers who can undertake the evaluation,” Kaita added.

The appeal aims to address long-standing infrastructural deficits and to push forward projects crucial for regional connectivity and development.