Executive Order 3. 2026: Bold step that brings order to Katsina’s land administration

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By Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed

On the 18th February, 2026, Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda did something no previous administration in Katsina State had done. He signed the Planning Area Executive Order, formally involving traditional rulers in land administration and development control for the first time in the state’s history.

For decades, Katsina’s urban centers have grown without order. Land is sold without proper documentation. Structures are built without permits. Vendors operate without registration. Communities expand without planning.

The result? Urban slums. Land fraud. Endless disputes. Illegal developments. And worst of all, an environment where accountability is weak and traceability is almost impossible.

Governor Radda refused to continue that trend. He refused to allow chaos to define our cities. And he refused to exclude the very people who know their communities best—our traditional rulers.

So he acted. Decisively.

Now, what’s the Planning Area Executive Order? It is the legal backbone of Katsina’s new urban reform agenda. It establishes Planning Areas for Katsina, Daura, and Funtua, and it does three groundbreaking things:

First: It Formalizes Traditional Rulers as Development Control Partners. For the first time in Katsina’s history, Mai-unguwas, Wakilai, and Magajis are formally part of the land administration system.

They must now report every new development or structure built in their jurisdiction. Every land transaction—sales, transfers, or changes in ownership

This is not ceremonial. This is institutional. This is law. By bringing traditional rulers into the system, the government has created a grassroots network of accountability that did not exist before. These leaders know their communities. They see who is building what, where, and when. They know who is selling land and to whom.

Now, that knowledge is part of the official system.

Second: It Regulates Land Vendors (Dillalai. All land vendors must now register with the Katsina Geographic Information Services (KATGIS). They must report every transaction. They must follow the rules.

No more anonymous deals. No more selling land without accountability. No more fraudulent transactions that leave buyers stranded and communities confused. This protects buyers. This protects communities. This protects the future.

Third: It Creates a Transparent, Traceable System. Every land transaction will now be documented. Every development will be reported. Every vendor will be registered.

This is not about controlling people. This is about creating order.

For clarity sake, this Executive Order is not a security screening system. It does not vet land buyers based on their background or origin. That is not what it does. But here is what it does: it creates transparency. And transparency is the enemy of chaos.

When land transactions are documented, when traditional rulers are involved, when vendors are registered, when developments are reported—government has better information. Communities have better information and feel secure. Security agencies have better information.

You cannot build a bomb factory in secret when the Mai-unguwa has reported your construction to the Urban and Regional Planning Board. You cannot acquire multiple properties under false identities when every transaction is registered with KATGIS. You cannot hide illegal activity when traditional rulers, who know their communities, are part of the system.

This is not direct security enforcement. But it is a foundation for security. Because disorder breeds insecurity. And order creates the conditions for peace.

Some may ask: Why involve traditional rulers?

The answer is simple. They know their communities better than anyone else.

The Executive Order did not come out of nowhere. It is part of a larger vision.

On the same day, Governor Radda unveiled the Katsina, Daura, and Funtua Masterplans for 2025–2040. These are 15-year development frameworks designed to transform Katsina’s urban centers into modern, orderly, and prosperous cities.

The last comprehensive masterplans for these cities were developed in 1978. That was 48 years ago. They expired in 2003. Since then, we have been building blindly.

The result? Urban slums. Recurrent floods. Overcrowded neighborhoods. Advancing desertification. Poor infrastructure. Land disputes. And even insecurity.

Governor Radda said: Enough. The new masterplans provide a clear roadmap for land use and zoning. It captures transportation and road networks. Housing and commercial zones were not left out. Green infrastructure and environmental sustainability are very germane.

But masterplans are useless without enforcement. That is where the Executive Order comes in. It provides the legal framework to implement the masterplans. It empowers the Urban and Regional Planning Board to enforce development control. It involves traditional rulers to ensure grassroots compliance.

This is not just planning. This is execution.

On population pressure. The Commissioner for Lands and Physical Planning, Prof. Faisal Umar Kaita, revealed something alarming. Katsina’s population is about 12 million today. By 2040, it will exceed 21 million.

Think about that. Nearly 10 million more people in the next 15 years.

If we do not plan now, our cities will collapse. Roads will be choked. Water will be scarce. Housing will be insufficient. Schools will be overcrowded. Markets will be unmanageable.

But if we plan now—if we follow the masterplans, if we enforce the Executive Order, if we involve traditional rulers—we can build cities that work.

Cities with access roads. Cities with water. Cities with schools, markets, and green spaces. Cities where our children can thrive.

That is what this is about.

Governor Radda’s land reforms are about more than property. They are about security. A transparent land system reduces disorder and creates conditions for peace.
Proper documentation protects buyers and reduces fraud.
Orderly urban growth supports infrastructure, investment, and economic growth. And well-planned cities are what we leave for our children.

Previous administrations talked about land reforms. Governor Radda signed an Executive Order. Previous administrations promised masterplans. Governor Radda gazetted them and allocated ₦857 billion in the 2026 budget to implement them.

This is what leadership looks like. Not promises. Action.

The Planning Area Executive Order is law. The masterplans are gazetted. The traditional rulers are empowered. The land vendors are being registered. The system is changing.

Some will resist. Some will complain. Some will try to continue the old ways. But the law is clear. And the law will be enforced.

Governor Radda has set the course. Now, it is up to all of us—government, traditional institutions, land vendors, developers, and citizens—to follow it. Because the future of Katsina depends on it.

Mohammed is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Katsina State