By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar | Katsina Times | September 9, 2025
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umar Radda (PhD), has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to peace and sustainable development as he launched the Conflict Prevention, Crisis Response and Resilience (CPCRR) programme, a European Union (EU)-funded initiative worth €5 million, in Katsina on Monday, September 9, 2025.
Speaking at the Hillside Hotel, the governor painted a grim picture of how bandit attacks, kidnappings, communal clashes, climate change, economic decline, and unemployment have devastated communities across Katsina.
“In Jibia and other affected areas, schools have shut down, farming has stopped, markets are deserted, children are losing access to education, parents are burying their children, and elders are losing ancestral homes. These are not isolated issues but interconnected crises that demand collective solutions,” Governor Radda said.
The 18-month CPCRR programme will be implemented in eight high-risk local government areas in Katsina and at least two in Zamfara. It is built on three pillars:
1. Peacebuilding and conflict reduction,
2. Economic empowerment and job creation, and
3. Strengthening governance and local institutions.
Governor Radda stressed that the programme would be community-led rather than top-down, ensuring that women, youths, and persons with disabilities are actively involved in design and implementation. He noted that Katsina has already recorded success in restoring peace in four local governments, with dialogue ongoing in others, and emphasized that CPCRR builds on earlier EU-supported community reconciliation initiatives.
To oversee implementation, the governor announced the creation of a CPCRR Steering Committee, which he will personally chair. The committee includes commissioners from key ministries such as security, agriculture, environment, education, justice, women affairs, and local government.
“This is not a tea-drinking committee,” Radda declared. “It is a working body with full responsibility to deliver transparency, accountability, and community leadership.”
He appealed to traditional and religious leaders to use their influence to foster peace and unity, while urging youths and women to move from being victims of conflict to becoming agents of change. While commending security agencies for their sacrifices, he warned that lasting peace cannot be achieved through military action alone without dialogue, development, and trust-building.
EU Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, reaffirmed the Union’s commitment to supporting peace, security, and sustainable development in Katsina and the wider Northwest region. He recalled EU partnerships in Katsina dating back to the 1990s, which included poverty reduction, environmental protection, renewable energy, and education projects, such as the Katsina Forestry Project and the Katsina Irrigation Development Scheme.
“Today, we return with our partners to demonstrate that the EU remains fully committed to Nigeria’s sustainable development, security, and welfare. Peace and security are at the core of European values, and we must strengthen community resilience,” Mignot stated.
He explained that the CPCRR builds on the successes of previous EU projects, including the recently concluded STEM-CNCR, and will be jointly implemented in Katsina and Zamfara in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Mercy Corps, and CDD.
Highlighting the centrality of inclusivity, Mignot emphasized the importance of involving women, youths, children, and people with disabilities in all peacebuilding processes.
“Too often, men drive conflict. But there can be no peace without women. They are among the most affected by violence, yet they remain key pillars of change and progress,” he said.
The ambassador also raised concerns over worsening malnutrition in Northwest and Northeast Nigeria, which threatens the lives of thousands of children. He referenced his July visit to nutrition centres in Sokoto with the Federal Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, describing the situation as “heartbreaking.”
“In Katsina, the EU is providing €5 million in support through partners like Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to treat malnourished children at centres, including at the Turai Yar’adua Hospital. But urgent action is needed, not just to feed children today, but to prevent a recurrence in the future,” he stressed.
Other speakers at the launch included Dr. Nasir Mu’azu Danmusa, Katsina’s Commissioner for Internal Security, who linked persistent crises to greed, envy, resource disputes, climate change, and injustice. He noted that four LGAs had been liberated from banditry in the past eight months. Commissioner for Women Affairs, Hajiya Hadiza Yar’adua, and Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Bishir Tanimu Gambo, also spoke on the importance of community involvement, particularly women and rural populations.
The high-profile event drew foreign diplomats, international organizations, traditional rulers, community leaders, and senior government officials, all pledging support for the success of the peacebuilding initiative.
