Distribution of motorcycles to community officers and commissioning of drilling machines

I am pleased to be here today for this important occasion, where we are flagging off the distribution of motorcycles to our Community Development Officers (CDOs), Community Support Officers (CSOs), and Community Learning Officers (CLOs), while also commissioning a newly procured tube well drilling machines and air wheel compressors.

This gathering reflects our administration’s deliberate approach to development strengthening institutions at the grassroots while simultaneously investing in productive infrastructure, particularly in agriculture and irrigation.

From the outset, our administration resolved that development must begin from the communities. This conviction gave rise to the Community Development Programme (CDP), which places communities and frontline officers at the centre of planning, implementation, and monitoring of government interventions.

Our CDOs, CSOs, and CLOs serve as the direct link between government and the people. They mobilize communities, supervise projects, ensure accountability, and sustain government presence at ward level. However, effective service delivery requires not only commitment, but also the right tools.

That is why today we are flagging off the distribution of 1,100 motorcycles to improve field mobility, reach, and efficiency especially in rural and hard-to-reach areas of our State.

These motorcycles are being issued under a hire-purchase arrangement. Government has provided a 50 percent subsidy, while beneficiaries will repay the balance gradually over a period of five (5) years. This model promotes responsibility, ownership, and sustainability.

Let me be clear: these motorcycles are not gifts; they are tools for service. Any misuse, especially sale or unauthorized disposal, will be treated as gross misconduct and sanctioned in line with the Civil Service Rules.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen,

The commissioning of this drilling machine today is not by coincidence. It complements our broader efforts to strengthen irrigation, improve water access, and enhance agricultural productivity across Katsina State.

Last year, our administration procured and distributed 4,000 solar-powered irrigation pumps, ensuring that each and every ward in the State received ten (10) pumps. These pumps were made available to farmers at a highly subsidized rate, alongside the free distribution of 100 bags of fertilizer per ward. This intervention significantly boosted dry-season farming, reduced production costs, and improved livelihoods.

Building on that success, this year we expanded our support further. All wards with irrigation sites received:

• Ten (10) gasoline water pumps,
• Ten (10) knapsack sprayers,
• Fertilizers,
• Herbicides, and
• Pesticides—all provided free of charge.

These interventions demonstrate our commitment not only to providing infrastructure, but also to ensuring that farmers receive the complete package required to succeed.

In furtherance of this commitment, the government has successfully procured 6no. Modern tube-well drilling machines and 3no. Wheel Air Compressor, which we are launching today. These machines will significantly expand access to groundwater for irrigation farmers, reduce dependence on rain-fed agriculture, and support dry-season farming across our local government areas.

When you connect these interventions, the supply of irrigation equipment, farm inputs, drilling capacity, and now enhanced field mobility for our extension agents and frontline officers, you see a clear and deliberate strategy: an integrated system designed to deliver results, sustain impact, and empower communities.

I commend the Ministry of Agriculture, the Community Development Programme (CDP), the Katsina State Irrigation Development Authority, and all partners involved for their dedication and professionalism. I also urge beneficiaries of these motorcycles to see this support as a trust, a trust to serve diligently, uphold integrity, and operate strictly in line with the Standard Operating Procedures of the CDP.

In conclusion, let me reaffirm that our administration remains firmly committed to:

• Community-driven development,
• Agricultural transformation through irrigation, and
• Efficient, transparent, and accountable service delivery.

Together, we are building a Katsina State where development is practical, inclusive, and sustainable.

It is on this note that I have the honour to formally flag off the distribution of motorcycles to CDOs, CSOs, and CLOs, and to commission the drilling machine for the benefit of our people.

May Allah guide and bless our efforts.

Thank you, and God bless Katsina State.