Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has made history as Katsina becomes the first state in Nigeria to fully operationalise a Startup Law.
The Governor on Tuesday inaugurated the Katsina State Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship, established the Katsina Startup Fund, and constituted the Startup Consultative Forum.
A statement signed by Ibrahim kaula Mohammad chief press secretary to the Governor said the three bodies will now drive support for young founders, attract investors, and grow technology-driven businesses in the state.
The Governor, represented by his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Abdulkadir Nasir Mamman said the Council marks the beginning of real implementation.
“I convey the warm regards of Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, whose vision for a technology-driven and knowledge-based economy has made today’s gathering possible. The establishment of this Council is another demonstration of his administration’s belief that innovation is no longer on the margins of development, it is central to it.”
The Governor told members that the Startup Law has provided the legal framework, and the task before the Council is to make it deliver value.
“We should therefore see this Council for what it is: not another committee, and certainly not an implementing agency. We are the State’s highest strategic body on digital innovation and entrepreneurship. Our responsibility is to provide direction, shape policy, remove barriers, build partnerships and ensure that innovation becomes a driver of economic growth across our State,” he said.
Governor Radda emphasized that the Startup Law is an economic development law which aims at creating jobs for our young people, attract investment into Katsina and help entrepreneurs transform ideas into businesses.
“This will equally help in building companies that create value, generate employment and contribute to the prosperity of our State,” he stated.
The Governor added that the impact will cut across agriculture, health, education, manufacturing and other sectors.
“The real measure of our success will not be the number of meetings we hold or resolutions we pass. It will be whether more young people find meaningful opportunities; whether more startups survive and grow; whether more investors choose Katsina; whether our universities become centres of innovation; and whether technology begins to solve everyday challenges for our citizens,” he said.
Also speaking, Director-General of the Katsina State Directorate of Information and Communication Technology, KATDICT, Naufal Ahmad, said the state now has a working foundation for an innovation economy.
“We now have a system where founders can build, investors can come in with confidence, and young people can turn ideas into businesses that create jobs and wealth,” Ahmad said.
He added that the law is designed to improve access to support, deepen government and private sector collaboration, and draw investment into tech-enabled businesses.
“With this step, Governor Radda has set a national example of how to turn policy into institutions that deliver growth that is inclusive,” Ahmad concluded.
The newly inaugurated Katsina State Council for Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship will be chaired by Governor Radda. Naufal Ahmad, Director-General of the Katsina Directorate of ICT, KATDICT, will serve as Secretary of the Council.
Other members of the Council include Hon. Malik Anas, Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning; Alh. Bello Hussaini Kagara, Commissioner for Finance; Barr. Fadila Muhammad Dikko, Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice; Khalil Nura Khalil, Economic Adviser to the Governor; Dr. Babangida Ruma, Director-General of KASEDA; Dr. Mustapha Shehu, Executive Secretary of KTDMB; and Hajiya Aisha Aminu (Malumfashi), Commissioner for Women Affairs.
From the academic, the Council will also have Haj. Zainab Lawal Sani and Dr. Armaya’u Zango. Representing the tech ecosystem are Umar Mustapha Kutawa, Chief Executive Officer of LumiLab, and Huzaifa Yakubu Musa, Chief Executive Officer of Kirkira.
