Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has rolled out financial grants for more than 62,000 nano, micro and small businesses, alongside a separate non-interest financing scheme through which his administration says it has disbursed over ₦3.5bn to more than 6,000 enterprises.
The latest intervention, implemented through the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency, will provide grants of ₦50,000 to nano businesses, ₦100,000 to micro enterprises and ₦150,000 to small businesses, alongside 2,000 purpose-built kiosks for vulcanisers and customised business signages across the state’s 34 local government areas.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, disclosed the details in a statement issued on October 19, 2026, following the flag-off ceremony at Bello Kofar Bai Hall, Katsina State Secretariat.
The statement said the initiative was part of the administration’s Building Your Future Agenda, aimed at strengthening grassroots businesses through direct financial assistance, improved working facilities and greater commercial visibility.
Speaking at the ceremony, Radda described the intervention as an investment in grassroots economic development, emphasising the role of small businesses in employment generation, wealth creation and economic growth.
“Our entrepreneurs are not merely participants in our economy; they are its engine room. When we strengthen them, we strengthen the very foundation of Katsina State,” the governor said.
Under the new grant programme, eligible nano enterprises will receive ₦50,000 each, while micro enterprises will receive ₦100,000 and small enterprises ₦150,000 each. The government did not specify in the statement the total amount earmarked for the latest grants or the number of beneficiaries in each category.
The governor also announced the provision of 2,000 purpose-built kiosks for vulcanisers to improve their working conditions, security and productivity. According to the statement, local fabricators are producing the kiosks, creating additional business opportunities for artisans within the state.
“We are not merely distributing grants; we are investing in productive capacity. We are not merely providing kiosks; we are strengthening the infrastructure of grassroots commerce. And we are not merely installing signages; we are opening doors to customers and economic opportunities,” Radda said.
The government said the intervention followed an extensive mapping exercise conducted along major road corridors and across the state’s 34 local government areas to identify businesses, assess their operating conditions and establish their financing and infrastructure needs.
Radda disclosed that his administration had separately disbursed more than ₦3.5bn in non-interest financing to over 6,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, with repayments already commencing.
The figure highlights the scale of the state’s existing enterprise financing programme, although the statement did not provide a breakdown of the amount disbursed by business category or the average financing received by each beneficiary.
The governor also said the administration had facilitated 5,373 jobs and formalised more than 10,000 businesses in 2025 alone.
He cited these figures as evidence of efforts to improve business sustainability, expand employment and help informal enterprises operate within the formal economy.
“These achievements affirm that when government creates the right environment, local enterprises can become national champions and global competitors, creating jobs, generating wealth and positioning Katsina State as a hub of entrepreneurship and innovation,” he said.
The latest intervention also includes customised signages intended to make participating businesses easier for customers to identify and locate. The government said the branding component would complement the grants and kiosks by improving the visibility of small enterprises and their products and services.
Radda further disclosed that the state had developed an integrated digital enterprise database and management platform to support beneficiary verification, programme monitoring and evidence-based planning.
“This is not just a database. It is an economic intelligence platform, a strategic planning instrument and a decision-support system that will strengthen enterprise development in Katsina State for years to come,” the governor said.
The platform is expected to provide information on business locations, operating conditions and enterprise needs, helping the government identify areas requiring additional support and design targeted interventions for women-owned businesses, young entrepreneurs and underserved communities.
The Director-General of KASEDA, Dr Babangida Kabir Ruma, said the new initiative followed the enterprise mapping exercise undertaken on the governor’s directive.
He explained that the agency used the findings to develop a three-pronged intervention comprising direct financial grants, business kiosks and customised signages.
Ruma said the agency had carried out data cleaning, deduplication, eligibility assessment and validation to improve the reliability of enterprise records and strengthen transparency in beneficiary selection.
“The grants will strengthen businesses. The kiosks will improve their commercial infrastructure. The signages will make them more visible. But this digital platform will provide the intelligence to design better programmes, target support more effectively and monitor enterprise growth for years to come,” he said.
The KASEDA director-general commended the governor for supporting the agency’s work and said it would maintain professionalism, transparency and accountability in implementing the programme.
Radda also urged beneficiaries to use the grants productively, maintain proper business records, improve the quality of their goods and services and invest in expanding their enterprises. He assured residents that the government would uphold fairness and accountability in selecting beneficiaries and implementing the intervention.
The statement also highlighted the state’s recognition at the 2026 National MSMEs Awards, where Kosai Republic, a beneficiary of KASEDA’s support, won ₦7.5m.
However, the government did not disclose the full budget for the new grants, the disbursement schedule for the more than 62,000 businesses or the criteria for allocating the 2,000 kiosks. These details would help establish the precise financial commitment and how the support would be distributed among eligible enterprises.
West Trybe reports that Katsina’s enterprise support programme combines a new grant initiative targeting more than 62,000 businesses with an existing non-interest financing scheme worth over ₦3.5bn. The impact of the interventions will depend on transparent disbursement, effective monitoring and whether beneficiaries can use the support to sustain their businesses, expand operations and create additional jobs.
