Katsina: Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina State has launched the state’s General Household Survey (GHS) Report to strengthen evidence-based planning and improve service delivery. Radda, represented by his Deputy, Alhaji Faruq Jobe, stated that the survey provided comprehensive household-level data covering all 34 local government areas of the state.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the report contains critical information on household welfare, poverty, employment and livelihoods, agriculture, education, health, housing, water, sanitation and hygiene, access to basic services, and social protection. The survey aims to enable the government to move away from assumptions and design development interventions based on credible evidence and the actual needs of citizens.
Radda emphasized that development interventions will increasingly be targeted using credible data, with resources allocated where they are needed most and performance measured objectively. He highlighted that the report represented one of the administration’s significant achievements in institutionalizing evidence-based governance and strengthening statistical systems across the state.
The governor stressed that every Ministry, Department, and Agency (MDA) would be expected to use statistical evidence in preparing policies, strategic plans, annual budgets, and monitoring frameworks. He pledged continued support for the Katsina State Bureau of Statistics to produce timely, quality, and internationally comparable statistics for effective planning and decision-making.
Radda noted that reliable statistics are public goods that enhance transparency, accountability, and public confidence, while also providing investors with credible information on market opportunities and development prospects. He explained that the survey was part of broader efforts by his administration to ensure that government policies were driven by facts, rigorous analysis, and broad stakeholder consultation.
He expressed appreciation to UNICEF Kano Field Office for providing technical and financial support toward strengthening planning systems, statistical capacity, and evidence generation in the state. The governor urged MDAs, local government councils, development partners, researchers, and other stakeholders to make extensive use of the survey findings in designing programs and policies to improve the welfare of the people.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Malam Malik Anas, said the survey provided a comprehensive understanding of the socio-economic conditions of households across the state. Anas mentioned that the findings would help the government identify who was poor, where they lived, what made them vulnerable, and the barriers preventing them from improving their livelihoods.
Anas stated that the GHS would provide a critical foundation for targeting government interventions and ensuring that scarce public resources were directed to areas and populations where they would have the greatest impact. He added that the findings would also provide a valuable baseline against which progress in the implementation of the state’s development agenda could be measured.
Anas assured that the administration remained committed to strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, the Katsina State Bureau of Statistics, and other institutions involved in data generation and management. He mentioned that the report would also serve as a useful resource for policymakers, development partners, researchers, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders involved in development planning.
Dr. Karanveer Singh, Officer-in-Charge, UNICEF Field Office Kano, expressed delight in joining the Katsina Government in launching the GHS Report and other strategic policy documents. Singh said the documents demonstrated the state’s commitment to evidence-based planning, inclusive development, accountability, and improved outcomes for children, women, families, and communities.
Singh highlighted that the GHS Report was particularly important because it provided timely evidence on the living conditions, needs, and priorities of households in the state. He stated that when effectively utilized, the evidence would guide resource allocation, improve targeting of interventions, and strengthen monitoring of progress toward state, national, and global development goals.
UNICEF remains committed to supporting Katsina in strengthening data systems, promoting evidence-based decision-making, and implementing policies and programs that would improve the wellbeing of children, families, and communities. Singh congratulated the state government, Bureau of Statistics, and other stakeholders for completing the documents and urged them to move beyond dissemination to translating their findings into practical actions and measurable results.