Foreign and domestic investors participating in the ongoing Katsina Economic and Investment Summit, 2025, have pledged investment of about N489.4 billion into the state’s economy.

Some of the investors who made the commitment in their separate goodwill messages included Dar Alhalal, CONSTRIX and Estate; Darma Rice Mill and Gobarau Agro Allied Companies. Others include Equatorial Marine Oil and Gas Company Limited and Boko Fertiliser Nigeria Limited.

Two business moguls from the state, Umaru Mutallab and Dahiru Mangal, also participated in the summit.

Declaring the summit open on Monday, Governor Dikko Radda reaffirmed Katsina’s rising profile as one of Nigeria’s fastest-emerging investment destinations.

The governor further revealed that a recent study indicated that Katsina has the highest gold deposits in the country. According to him, the state now presents a secure, transparent, innovation-driven, and politically supported environment for sustainable growth.

Mr Radda said the state had put in place a wide range of institutional and administrative reforms to improve the ease of doing business. He reaffirmed that Katsina has long been a centre of scholarship, trade, and intellectual excellence—home to distinguished figures in politics, business, academia, and Islamic scholarship.

The governor, therefore, reiterated the administration’s commitment to preserving and elevating those legacies.

“We are building an economy that empowers young people, supports women-led enterprises, strengthens families, and restores dignity. My message to investors is simple. We have created a fertile and secure ground for your investments. Katsina is ready for you,” Mr Radda said.

In a keynote address, Ibrahim Ida said Katsina was endowed with untapped natural resources, including fertile agricultural land, livestock, solid minerals, and renewable energy, among others.

He added that the state is located along the border with the Niger Republic, which offers tremendous opportunities to tap into wider markets and benefit from regional partnerships.

Mr Ida said that the state has demographic dividends, with a large youthful population, a vibrant consumer market, and a substantial labour force.

The director-general of Katsina Investment Promotion Agency, Ibrahim Tukur-Jikamshi, described the summit as “a defining moment” in Katsina’s journey toward competitiveness, transformation, and private-sector-driven growth.

(NAN)