Katsina Invests ₦9.952bn To Deepen MSMEs Growth
The Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA) has invested over N9.952 billion to deepen the growth of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in the state.
The Director-General of KASEDA, Aisha Aminu Malumfashi, made this known in a paper titled “Driving Inclusive Economic Transformation through MSMEs” delivered during the high-level consultation on security and governance convened by Governor Dikko Umaru Radda.
She explained that the investment focused on strengthening entrepreneurship, empowering women and youth, and expanding financial inclusion in Katsina State.
According to her, Katsina currently hosts more than 1.7 million MSMEs, organized into 823 clusters across agriculture, trade, crafts, services, and the rapidly growing digital and creative industries.
Aisha said that the agency’s flagship Integrated MSME Development Programme is designed to reach 500,000 enterprises across all 34 LGAs, with focus on women, youth, startups, and entrepreneurs in conflict-affected communities.
The programme prioritizes financial inclusion, digital innovation, agro-processing value chains, and advisory services delivered through the Dikko Business Development Services Corps.
Outlining key milestones, Aisha said KASEDA has facilitated over ₦5 billion in MSME financing, trained thousands of entrepreneurs in business and digital skills, and conducted an MSME census covering 600,000 businesses while mapping 50,000 clusters for investment planning.
The Director-General said they had facilitated the establishment of entrepreneurship academies such as the Dikko Social Innovation Academy and the KASEDA Digital Academy, which jointly trained more than 500 participants annually.
She said N10 million grant has been disbursed to 200 vendors during the 2025 Katsina MSME Awards and Fair.
The Director-General announced several initiatives, including the ₦3.4 billion MSME Revolving Fund managed in partnership with the Bank of Industry and Sterling Bank, which has already supported more than 3,000 entrepreneurs across the 34 local government areas of the state.
Another is the ₦542 million UNDP Livelihood Support Programme, which trained 2,000 beneficiaries, provided grants to 1,700 nano and micro businesses, supported 300 SMEs with revolving loans, and gave start-up capital to 1,000 young entrepreneurs.
Aisha said the agency has established the Shared Industrial Development Centre, affliated with SMEDAN, of which ₦1 billion was spent to support textiles, ICT, packaging, and agribusiness sectors. According to her, about 50 entrepreneurs are using the facility daily.
She added that over 10,000 MSMEs benefitted from the World Bank KT-CARES grants, with 234 enterprises receiving IT toolkits, while the Mechatronics Apprentices Support Program is also training 3,000 youths in automobile technology, complete with stipends and starter packs.
Aisha stressed that women and youth remain at the centre of KASEDA’s development agenda, and outlined several ongoing projects designed to provide rural communities with more opportunities.
Among them is the Katsina Graduate Entrepreneurship Fund (KGEF), which offers final-year tertiary students seed grants and interest-free loans ranging from ₦200,000 to ₦500,000.
According to her, between 1,500 and 2,000 students are expected to benefit each year, to start small businesses after graduation.
She also mentioned that the DIRWYFI Initiative targets 8,000 rural women and youth annually with training, resources, and opportunities to lift their families out of poverty.
The Director-General said KASEDA has been involved in modernising traditional industries, upgrading clusters for ‘Kilishi’ and ‘Hula’ across the state, Cassava processing, and the Food Bank Loan Project for households to strengthen nutrition access and community resilience.
