The Katsina State Government has inaugurated a 500 capacity remodelled Industrial Development Centre for youths in the state.

Speaking at the event on Wednesday in Katsina, the state governor, Dikko Radda, said the facility would serve as a centre for youth development.

The event, which coincided with the World Micro Small and Medium Enterprises Day, witnessed the launch of the maiden edition of the Katsina SME Clinics and Fair.

According to the governor, the facility is a public private partnership initiative between the state government and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria.

“I would particularly like to express our deep appreciation to SMEDAN for providing the space and fostering a collaborative relationship towards the establishment of this Shared Facility Centre. The purpose of remodelling the IDC with a functional Shared Facility Centre is to reiterate our commitment to fostering an environment where MSMEs and local artisans can thrive. This centre has now been equipped with modern tools and machinery that are often beyond the financial reach of individual artisans. This will enable them to produce higher quality products more efficiently and compete effectively in the market,” the governor said.

He further said that the centre would also provide a platform for enhancing skills and knowledge by training and learning new techniques, and staying updated with industry trends.

He said that based on the report of their cluster mapping, the government intended to extend such a common facility to the remaining two senatorial districts in the state as soon as possible.

He said, “The remodelled IDC common facility centre is for tailoring, leather works, packaging, ICT and other crafts. This represents a significant step forward in our mission to empower our local artisans and boost the creative economy of the state towards attaining our broad socio-economic development objectives. Our administration has acknowledged the important role our artisans and craftsmen play in institutionalising the desired change needed to remove our youths off the streets. That is why we are not only investing heavily in building and upscaling their skills and capacity but providing shared facilities for them to optimise their productions.”

Speaking at the event through his Deputy Chief of Staff, Senator Ibrahim Hassan-Hadejia, Vice President Kashim Shettima, commended the efforts of the state government for the initiative.

He said, “It is indeed heart-warming to come across a state that understands the critical nature and impact of SMSMEs to the local economy and the positive impact that they have on job creation and value addition to the agricultural sector, which is the mainstay of Katsina and other neighbouring states.

Mr Shettima said, “Of course, this is no surprise coming from a governor, whose tenure as SMEDAN director-gGeneral was the most impactful in terms of programme adaptation, suitability and innovation and heralded the advent of fit-for-purpose initiative. I had no doubt that Radda will bring the same focus on data acquisition and monitoring and evaluation that he embedded in SMEDAN to his projects in Katsina State.’’

(NAN)