Photo Credit: The Sun Nigeria / Katsina State Government House
Radda Says Youth Entrepreneurship Key to Fighting Insecurity in Katsina

Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, says expanding youth entrepreneurship is critical to tackling insecurity in the state.

The governor said job creation and enterprise development for young people is as important as enforcement in addressing the root causes of insecurity, such as idleness and social pressures.

Speaking at the 4th CEOs Round Table Summit and Exhibition in Katsina, organised by the Initiative of Innovative Youthpreneurs Sustainable Development, Radda urged youths and women to build skills, capacity and markets to transform their ideas into sustainable businesses.

“Entrepreneurship is about identifying problems and creating workable solutions,” he said.

Radda noted that access to finance alone does not guarantee success, stressing that successful enterprises require a combination of capacity, market access and funding.

“The links are capacity, market and finance,” he said, assuring entrepreneurs who meet the requirements of his administration’s support, especially women.

He charged young entrepreneurs to modernize traditional trades and vocational skills and to develop viable markets for their products.

Government officials at the event said the strategy is already yielding results through ongoing empowerment programmes.

According to the Commissioner for Agriculture, Aliyu Lawal Zakari Shargalle, over 800 youths have benefited from the Songhai training programme with start-up capital and grants, while another 700 young men and women are currently undergoing skills acquisition training with modern toolkits, financial support and monthly allowances.

The Commissioner for Women Affairs, Aisha Aminu Abdullahi Malumfash, said over 4,000 women are expected to showcase their businesses at an exhibition slated for October 6, with 2,200 women set to receive grants. She added that 1,700 Women Affinity Groups have been formed under the Nigeria for Women Project.

Convener of the CEOs Round Table, Lubabatu Umar Ahmed, said the initiative was created to connect entrepreneurs with ideas, opportunities and successful business leaders. She commended the Radda administration for its support to SMEs, noting that interventions through agencies including KASEDA, Women Affairs and Girl-Child Education have empowered 17,400 people across the state.

Governor Radda said the enterprise push is part of a broader development agenda aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which he recently presented to a National Economic Council Implementation Monitoring Committee delegation led by Daniel Ikara.

He listed over nine major road projects, renovation of more than 250 primary healthcare centres, employment of over 11,000 workers, and an agricultural mechanisation centre equipped with over 400 tractors. He also cited renewable energy investments, including a 10MW solar plant integrated into the Lambar Rimi Wind Farm and solar projects for hospitals, schools and water facilities.

The NEC monitoring team expressed satisfaction with projects inspected, particularly in agricultural mechanisation.
Source: The Sun Nigeria