In a powerful statement on the future of Northern Nigeria, Vice President Kashim Shettima has spotlighted Katsina State as a model for economic transformation driven by innovation, youth empowerment, and industrial rebirth.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the first fellows of the Dikko Social Innovation Academy (DSIA) and the inaugural Katsina MSME Awards, Shettima emphasized that sustainable peace and prosperity in the North depend on rebuilding small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) and converting the region’s natural wealth into productive industries.
“The North’s greatest potential lies not beneath its soil, but in the creativity of its people,” Shettima declared. “What Katsina is doing proves that with the right leadership, innovation can thrive anywhere — even beyond Nigeria’s biggest cities.”
A Northern Blueprint for Innovation and Growth
Katsina’s approach, spearheaded by Governor Dikko Radda, focuses on developing a new generation of problem-solvers through social entrepreneurship, design thinking, and community-led innovation.
The DSIA, established under the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA), trained 18 young fellows who have already begun implementing locally tailored solutions in health, agriculture, and climate resilience.
Governor Radda explained that the idea was inspired by Uganda’s globally acclaimed Social Innovation Academy, reimagined to address the region’s unemployment and poverty challenges.
“We realized that empowering people to innovate is the most sustainable way to fight poverty,” Radda said. “These graduates started as learners and are leaving as community changemakers.”
With a second cohort of 30 fellows underway and a third scheduled for early 2026, Katsina’s innovation pipeline continues to expand.
₦1 Billion Investment in Entrepreneurs
At the MSME Awards, 26 outstanding entrepreneurs received recognition for their creativity and resilience. The top awardee drove away in a new car — a symbolic gesture of the government’s faith in youth-led business.
Governor Radda announced that ₦500 million has been disbursed to support youth and women entrepreneurs, while a ₦542 million partnership with the UNDP is funding small businesses in conflict-affected zones.
Additional initiatives, including an MSME Census and Cluster Mapping Project and the Dikko Business Development Service Corps, aim to connect small businesses with funding and mentorship.
“We’re not just celebrating talent; we’re investing in it,” the governor said. “Our mission is to make Katsina the heart of enterprise in Northern Nigeria.”
Rebuilding Northern Identity Through Industry
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), more than half of Nigeria’s youth remain unemployed or underemployed — with the North hit hardest.
Analysts believe Katsina’s experiment marks a shift from dependency to self-reliance, as states look inward to harness innovation for growth.
Policy experts view the initiative as a “quiet revolution” that could reshape Northern Nigeria’s economy.
“What Radda has done is redefine what development means in the North,” one analyst said. “He’s building a new identity rooted in skills, creativity, and purpose.”
A Celebration of Vision and Leadership
The event, attended by former Governors Aminu Bello Masari and Ibrahim Shehu Shema, as well as federal ministers and legislators, showcased Katsina’s rising profile as a center of youth-driven innovation.
Shettima, who stayed in Katsina for the event, commended the state’s model for blending innovation with social progress.
“This is more than a graduation,” he said. “It’s the story of how a state is reclaiming the North’s legacy of enterprise, one young innovator at a time.”
