Not long ago, land administration in Katsina State was a chaotic affair—unregulated, corrupt, and riddled with disputes. For decades, access to land was largely dependent on personal connections, informal negotiations, and often illegal transactions facilitated by powerful local actors.
Traditional rulers, for instance, wielded disproportionate control over communal and farmlands, sometimes selling the same parcel to multiple buyers or claiming ownership of what rightfully belonged to communities. Lands meant for schools, hospitals, grazing reserves, and public infrastructure were routinely carved out and sold to private interests, sometimes with the connivance of corrupt local government officials.
Manual record-keeping made it easy for files to conveniently "disappear," especially when claimants refused to "grease palms." Land disputes lingered in courts for years. Corruption thrived. Planning was virtually nonexistent. Urban growth went unchecked, resulting in unplanned neighborhoods, congestion, and growing environmental and security concerns.
Then came Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, CON.
From his first days in office, it was clear that Governor Radda was determined to end the land-related lawlessness that had stifled the state’s development for so long. One of his earliest decisions was to rename the Ministry of Lands and Survey to the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning—a symbolic and strategic shift to reflect the government’s new priority: sustainable, modern, and lawful land administration.
But symbolism was only the beginning. Backed by an unflinching political will, Governor Radda convened a stakeholders' meeting with traditional rulers, local government chairmen, and planning authorities, where he delivered a blunt message: the era of backdoor land sales and disregard for planning laws was over. He made it clear that henceforth, only the government—through the ministry and its newly established digital agency—had the constitutional mandate to allocate land.
And then came the game-changer: the establishment of the Katsina State Geographic Information Service (KATGIS).
KATGIS is a fully digital, technology-driven platform for land administration, designed to eliminate corruption, streamline processes, and bring Katsina in line with international best practices. With a ₦900 million investment, KATGIS has revolutionized land documentation and service delivery. For the first time, Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) can be processed digitally—accurately, transparently, and in a fraction of the time it used to take. Applicants can now track their files online, confirm land availability, and avoid falling victim to fraud.
Under this new system, the shady dealings that once defined land acquisition in Katsina are being dismantled. Traditional rulers and politicians can no longer secretly sell off plots or farmland. With every parcel geo-referenced and recorded in a central system, double allocation is now virtually impossible. The public can verify ownership, location, and size of land from their mobile phones—without going through middlemen.
Beyond reforming access and registration, the Radda administration has also committed to justice and fairness. Over ₦3.6 billion has been paid in compensation to landowners affected by public projects—many of whom had waited in vain for years. These payments covered lands taken for the expansion of Umaru Musa Yar’adua Airport, major road projects across Charanchi, Radda, and Jabiri, as well as for educational institutions like the Federal University Funtua and the College of Agriculture in Kafur LGA.
Planning, long ignored, is now central to the government’s development agenda. Governor Radda has approved and funded a ₦230 million review of the Katsina, Daura, and Funtua Master Plans (2025–2040), setting a new course for orderly urban growth in the state’s three major cities. This forward-looking vision aims to prevent the unchecked sprawl that has plagued many Nigerian cities and instead create livable, well-zoned environments that support housing, commerce, and public services.
To back these reforms with real enforcement capacity, the government procured ₦725 million worth of earth-moving and utility vehicles for the State Urban and Regional Planning Board (URPB). These machines—payloaders, excavators, tippers, Hilux trucks—are now used to demolish illegal structures and enforce planning laws swiftly and visibly. No longer will offenders hide behind bureaucratic delays or political immunity.
Taken together, these initiatives place Katsina State in the ranks of forward-thinking states like Lagos and Kaduna, which have also adopted digital GIS-based systems. But even among its peers, Katsina stands out—especially in Northern Nigeria—where many states still rely on paper-based systems vulnerable to manipulation.
Across the globe, countries like Rwanda, Kenya, and the Netherlands have achieved remarkable progress through similar reforms. Rwanda’s land registry is now 100% digitized. Kenya’s ArdhiSasa system has helped eliminate “missing file” syndicates in Nairobi. In places like Singapore and Estonia, land registration interfaces with banks and government systems, enabling mortgage processing and development approvals within days.
Katsina is not just catching up; it is leaping forward. The old order—where power, privilege, and patronage controlled access to land—is fading. In its place is a transparent, accountable, and investor-friendly land governance system that puts people first and the law above all. With KATGIS and other reforms firmly in place, Katsina State is laying not just bricks and mortar, but the very foundation of a modern, orderly, and prosperous society.
The journey from chaos to clarity has begun. And if sustained, it will become a model for the rest of Nigeria.
Ahmed Abdulkadir is a public affairs analyst and Chairman, Katsina State Radio and Television Services Board.
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