Each beneficiary household in Katsina State is set to receive a fully completed and furnished house, training in modern farming techniques, digital farm monitoring and access to international markets for their produce, with expected monthly earnings of up to ₦200,000, following a new agro-residential housing initiative by the state government.
Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, made this known on Wednesday during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Katsina State Government and COSMOS Residential City Nigeria Limited, describing the agreement as a major milestone in the state’s push for mass housing delivery, food security, youth employment and inclusive economic development.
The governor said the partnership would deliver 3,750 housing units across Kankia and Radda Local Government Areas, with 2,500 units located in Kankia and 1,250 units in Radda, under an innovative agro-residential model valued at about ₦155 billion.
“This agreement is the product of careful planning, due diligence and mutual trust. We are determined to ensure that every obligation entered into by the Katsina State Government is fully honoured so that this partnership will stand the test of time and deliver real value to our people,” Radda said.
He explained that the project, which will be executed within a period of 16 months to two years, is designed to combine modern housing with backyard fish farming and vegetable gardens in every home, creating sustainable livelihoods for beneficiaries while boosting food production for local consumption and export.
According to the governor, the state government has already allocated land for the project in both Kankia and Radda and will also identify unemployed youths and low-income households as beneficiaries. He noted that the selection will include people without formal Western education but with practical farming and vocational skills.
“This programme is designed to empower our youths and small families. Each beneficiary household will receive a fully completed and furnished house, training in modern farming techniques, digital farm monitoring and access to international markets for their produce,” Radda said.
He added that beneficiaries are expected to earn up to ₦200,000 monthly from their farming activities, with a compulsory savings component of between ₦50,000 and ₦70,000. According to him, the savings will be used to gradually offset investors’ costs, after which the houses and farms will become the personal property of the beneficiaries within a period of three to five years.
The governor also disclosed that the project site has already been handed over to COSMOS Residential City Nigeria Limited, while the company has pledged to fully mobilise to site within 10 days for the immediate commencement of construction works.
Earlier, the Head of Service, Alhaji Falalu Bawale, said the initiative would deliver 3,750 agro-housing units with strong emphasis on youth empowerment, skills acquisition, food security and community development across the benefiting local government areas.
Also speaking at the ceremony, the Managing Director of COSMOS Residential City Nigeria Limited, Murtala Sani Ibrahim, said the project is being implemented in partnership with SuperEye USA Corporation. He assured that local contractors, artisans and suppliers in Kankia and Radda would be given first consideration during project execution.
Ibrahim added that the agro-residential scheme would be expanded to Katsina, Daura and Funtua in the second phase and called for the support and cooperation of all stakeholders to ensure successful implementation.
The ceremony was attended by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Abdulkadir Mamman Nasir; the Commissioner for Justice, Barrister Fadila Mohammed Dikko; the Managing Director of Housing Authority Katsina, Dr. Aliyu Rabi’u Kurfi; the Executive Secretary of KTDMB, Dr. Mustapha Shehu; the General Manager of KASAMA, Dr. Aminu; two Permanent Secretaries from the Government House, as well as members of the management team of COSMOS Residential City Nigeria Limited.
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