The Director-General of the National Gallery of Art, Ahmed Bashir Sodangi, has rolled out a series of community support programmes in Katsina State, targeting women, students, expectant mothers and vulnerable households through financial assistance, food distribution, healthcare support and educational interventions.
The initiatives, implemented across Katsina Local Government Area and surrounding communities, include cash empowerment for 600 women, the distribution of 50,000 bags of 25kg food items during Ramadan last year, the donation of 100 birthing kits to two primary healthcare facilities and the provision of 286 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) registration forms to students.
The Ramadan food distribution reached councillors, political stakeholders, community leaders and members of the public, offering support to households during the holy month. The women’s empowerment programme, meanwhile, was designed to provide beneficiaries with financial assistance to support their livelihoods.
In the health sector, Sodangi donated 100 birthing kits to MCHCR/Asibitin Malam Bara’u in Rafindadi and Justice Umaru Abdullahi Clinic in U/Alkali, both located in Wakilin Kudu 1 Ward of Katsina LGA. The kits are intended to provide expectant mothers with essential materials for safer and more hygienic childbirth while supporting services at the facilities.
Education also featured prominently in the interventions, with 286 JAMB registration forms provided to students across Katsina LGA to ease the cost of applying for tertiary education. Schools received supplies including chalk, markers, brooms, lesson-plan books, first-aid kits, registers and dustbins to support teaching, learning and basic sanitation.
Beyond welfare and education, Sodangi’s initiatives extended to religious and community infrastructure. An overhead water tank and prayer mats were provided to Masallacin Mai Inyass in Malali, while two public toilets attached to Abdu Maigoro Mosque in Yar’Adua Quarters, Katsina, were completely renovated.
Explaining the motivation behind the interventions, Sodangi said leadership should be judged by its impact on people’s lives and the opportunities it creates, rather than the positions people occupy or the promises they make.
“True leadership is measured not merely by the positions we occupy or the promises we make, but by the lives we touch and the opportunities we create for others,” he said.
He stressed that women, young people, children and vulnerable households needed practical support to improve their living conditions, adding that investments in education, healthcare, economic empowerment and community infrastructure could help more people participate in society’s development.
Sodangi also emphasised the importance of empowering women and young people, describing their progress as essential to building stronger families and more resilient communities. He called for sustained efforts to widen access to education, healthcare and economic opportunities.
Representing Governor Dikko Radda at the outreach, the Secretary to the Katsina State Government, Barrister Abdullahi Garba Faskari, commended Sodangi for what he described as selfless service and commitment to community development.
Faskari praised the interventions for addressing the needs of vulnerable residents and supporting women, youths and children. He urged other well-meaning Nigerians to contribute their resources, influence and time to initiatives that improve livelihoods and create opportunities for younger generations.
He added that sustainable development required collective responsibility, calling on individuals, organisations and other stakeholders to complement government efforts by supporting underserved communities.
The interventions highlight how targeted support from public officials and other stakeholders can help address immediate community needs while strengthening access to essential services across Katsina State.
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