The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to turning Katsina State into a major industrial hub driven by innovation, technology, and resilience.
Vice President Kashim Shettima made the pledge during the First Katsina State Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Awards Dinner and the Dikko Social Innovation Academy Graduation Ceremony held on Monday in Katsina.
Shettima described Katsina as a land of transformation, rich in history, learning, trade, and craftsmanship that once shaped the destiny of the Sahel. He recalled how, as revealed in Yusufu Bala Usman’s Transformation of Katsina (1400–1883), the state’s progress was not a product of chance but of deliberate governance, foresight, and intellectual pursuit. “As Yusufu Bala Usman revealed in his Transformation of Katsina (1400–1883), this was no accident of geography but the result of deliberate organisation of rulers who governed with foresight. Scholars who are enlightened with knowledge, and traders who linked Africa’s interior to the world,” Shettima said.
He praised the enduring spirit of innovation and enterprise among Katsina’s people, saying that same creative energy continues to drive today’s entrepreneurs, artisans, and MSMEs. “That same creative energy still animates our people today in our entrepreneurs, artisans, and MSMEs who carry forward a legacy of innovation and resilience. Our challenge now is to renew that legacy through industrialisation anchored on comparative advantage,” he stated.
The vice president emphasized that Katsina must harness its natural strengths to transform its economy by processing what it already produces in abundance. “Let the cotton of Musawa and Bukarawa feed new spinning and weaving mills. The millet of Katsina and Mani power agro-processing industries and food innovation hubs. At the height of its productivity, this land accounted for 62 per cent of Nigeria’s cotton output and ranked third globally in millet production after India and China,” Shettima said.
He added that these statistics should serve not as memories of the past but as blueprints for future growth and development. “Those are not statistics of nostalgia but blueprints for a future of value addition, job creation, and inclusive prosperity. The transformation Yusufu Bala Usman chronicled must now find its fulfilment in a new Katsina, one that turns heritage into industry and history into growth,” he added.
Governor Dikko Radda also reiterated his administration’s commitment to building a vibrant, inclusive, and innovation-driven economy in Katsina. “We gather not only to celebrate achievements, but also to celebrate hope, resilience, and the spirit of innovation that defines the people of Katsina State. When we came into office, we were clear on our mission — to build an economy that empowers people through enterprise and innovation,” Radda said.
He expressed appreciation to Vice President Shettima for his continued support of Katsina’s development initiatives and reaffirmed that his government would continue to implement policies that promote entrepreneurship, job creation, and sustainable growth across the state.
