Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda has shared a detailed technology integration strategy aimed at placing the state on a viable path for sustainable development in Northern Nigeria.
The Governor shared the insights during a fireside interview at the Arewa Tech Fiesta held in Katsina on Thursday.
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Governor Radda intimated tech experts on the indigenous success stories while unveiling ambitious plans to position Katsina State as a regional technology and innovation hub.
The Governor also praised the remarkable trajectory of Sulo Africa, a company founded by a Katsina indigene, describing its potential in transformative terms.
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“Only God knows the future for that company. Only God knows how many are there when they built the company. There were just very few. But you are now talking about millions, millions and billions of naira that company alone can generate,” Governor Radda stated.
The Governor further emphasized the multiplier effect of technology entrepreneurship, noting, “You can see that even when you are dealing with entrepreneurs, you will see that there are single individuals who have a turnover of over 2 billion, 3 billion per annum. We are not talking of a large company that has large people. And if you look at the impact, only God knows where it will go.”
Speaking on systematic approach to governance Mr Radda, “When we came on board, because we know the power of data, we know the power of getting reliable data. The first thing we did, we did a baseline study on all our health institutions. We did a baseline study on all our farmers in Katsina State. We did a baseline study on all our primary and secondary school facilities that we have in the state.”
“When you have that data, it gives you ability to plan very well. It gives you ability to allocate resources to different sectors of the economy. So it is a must. It is something that we must do,” the Governor added.
Addressing northern Nigeria’s technology destiny, Governor Radda projected enormous economic potential, stating, “If we have the right data to sell, the sky is our limit. Only God knows the kind of money the state will generate or the northern states will generate or the entire country will generate whose ability to provide reliable data to everybody that wants to have something to do with that data.”
Responding to a poser on the rationale for hosting the Arewa Tech Fiesta, Governor Radda explained that “the event is to showcase what Katsina is able to provide in the area of technology and innovation. Seek support and collaboration from the investors and entrepreneurs invest and build this future for our young men and women.
“Last year, I launched what we call Katsina State Community Development. The initiative is meant to provide a platform for all the citizens to be part and parcel of the government. We created that, and we created community-level committees that take representation of every sector, of every stakeholder in that community,” the Governor also revealed.
Mr Radda stressed the technology-driven initiative to empower communities with direct communication channels, noting, “We are giving laptops so that they can be able to communicate with the centre. And they are reporting directly to the office of the governor because this is the direction we want the state to move on.”
“As of today, we have also implemented what we call e-health solutions to all our major hospitals. So that no patient should move with a file to another hospital. When they go to that hospital, they will have all their records available in those places,” said the Governor.
On connectivity infrastructure, Governor Radda announced, “We are trying to connect all the 34 local government headquarters with fiber optic. So that we provide that enabling environment in the rural communities for the young men and women who want to develop their skills in that direction.”
Mr Radda confirmed plans for the construction of tech village to give opportunities for young men and women to come and show their talent.
The Governor also referenced Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA) as an agency to support youth creative ideas.
On security challenges, the Governor revealed substantial investments, “We invested a lot of money on it. Over five billion was invested to provide those cameras all over the place and it can give us 30 kilometers radius vision of what is happening within that place.”
The Governor equally advocated for technological solutions to Nigeria’s security challenges, “This is the only answer to this insurgency because in Nigeria we have a lot of ungoverned spaces. We are unable to man all those ungoverned spaces. The only way out is the use of technology.”
“Once we have strong institutions in this country, manipulation will reduce. Let’s build strong institutions, not strong men,” the Governor charged.
On how he is addressing economic challenges, the Governor referenced the creation of the State Bureau of Statistics which is currently carrying out the poverty index survey in the state.
Concluding the interview, Governor Radda expressed hope that the future will be very bright. “We are working hard to build a system — changing how we work, how we think, and our attitude. My hope is that future governments in this state will continue from where we stopped, and build a brighter future for the youth, for the people of this state, and for Nigeria at large.”
“I believe, by 2030, Katsina will have a bright future filled with innovation, technology, and visionary leadership,” the Governor concluded.
The Arewa Tech Fiesta, hosted in Katsina, with support of the state government, served as a platform for showcasing Northern Nigeria’s technological capabilities and attracting investment to the region’s growing innovation ecosystem.
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