The federal government has pledged to transform Katsina state into an industrial hub through innovation, technology, and resilience.

Vice-President Kashim Shettima made the pledge at the First Katsina State Micro Small and Medium Enterprises awards dinner and Dikko Social Innovation Academy Graduation ceremony, held in Katsina on Monday. He said that Katsina has always been a land of transformation and a city where learning, trade, and craftsmanship once converged to shape the destiny of the Sahel.

“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.

“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,” Mr Shettima said.

He insisted that Katsina must transform again by processing what it already produces best, saying, “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.

“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 said.

Governor Dikko Radda also reaffirmed the determination of his administration to transform the state into a thriving hub for entrepreneurship and inclusive development.

“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,” said the governor.

Mr Radda thanked the vice-president for his support of Katsina.

(NAN)