Closing gong at the Nigerian Exchange

It gives me a great pleasure to be here with you at this occasion as well as to share with you our vision for the future, the progress we have made, and the crucial role each of you can play in helping us achieve our collective goals.

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, today's event is not just a forum to present our achievements, it is a platform to engage with our valued stakeholders, showcase our progress, gain your support and foster dialogue and partnerships.

Since I became the Governor of Katsina State by the grace of God, I promised myself that, things will have to be done differently in order to move the State forward. Secondly, a cardinal principle of my Administration is to entrench good governance at all levels. To me and my colleagues, good governance must translate into providing a secured environment and prosperity for our populace.

How could this be done then? We feel that the best way to go about it is to open the economy to all our industrial friends within and outside the Country for investment.

Katsina State is well endowed with all the resources that matter for the state to be transformed economically and socially. The State has strong comparative advantage which it could leverage in the great leap forward that we envisage. Take agriculture for example. It has the capacity to propel the state and indeed the whole country, to be self-sufficient and also export to neighboring countries by optimizing its value chain. For this, my government has the vision for the state to be an exporter of finished goods in a few years to come.

We do not have an option better than growing the local economy so that we can deliver to our teeming populace the dividends of industrialization which could translate into job creation, wealth generation, security and improvement in the general wellbeing of the citizens.

As I said, Katsina State is endowed with the requisite resources that could be utilized and grow the economy. The star resource is the human resource which could make everything happen. With a population of about 7 million people, Katsina state provides the base market for primary growth and development. Apart from the human resource we are so proud of. The State potentials in Agriculture, Solid Minerals, Property Development and Hospitality Industry are enormous. These resources could support the establishment of:

• Large Scale Rice/Wheat/Production and Processing
• Large Scale Meat Production and Processing
• Large Scale Sugar Plant
• Economic Tree Plantations such as Gum Arabic, Shea, Moringa and Locust Tree etc.

To make this a reality, there has to be a change of approach from the frontline stakeholders. On the part of Government, preparations are being put in place to make the journey of industrialization seamless through the following:

• Establishment of Katsina Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA), a dedicated agency to serve as the central hub for MSME support and development in Katsina State;
• Launching of a ₦5Billion Matching Fund with the Bank of Industry (BOI), a significant milestone, as this was the first time such a fund was secured despite a BOI presence in Katsina for 8 years;
• Partnership with SMEDAN and Sterling Bank for a ₦1Billion Matching Fund, ensuring more financing options for small businesses as well as establishment of a ₦542 Million Matching Fund to support SMEs in frontline local governments affected by conflict in collaboration with UNDP;
• Taking over of the 10MW Solar Power at Lambar Rimi from the Federal Government to fast track the use of the facility in the State;
• Creation of Public Private Partnership (PPP) unit that with a clear PPP policy and Operating Manual, Fiscal and Contingent Commitment Liability that seek to derrick private sector investment as a means of attracting investment to the State;
• Establishment of Geographic Information Service that has streamline the process of obtaining C of O in less than 60 sixty days through a well secured technology and a robust digitize process;
• An executive order of zero charge was passed on deployment of fibre optics with a view to ensuring relevant Communication Companies are attracted to the State;
• Creation of the State Economic Council and continuous management of the State Ease of doing business council and MSME Council;
• Establishment of Small Claims Court to provide quick dispensation of commercial and alternative dispute resolution;
• Formulation and formalization of the following policies to provide investors with clear guidelines on how to undertake business in Katsina State:
• Katsina State Creative Economy Policy;
• Katsina State Industrial and Trade Policy;
• Katsina State Digital Economy Policy;
• Katsina State Policy for Sustainable Development of Solid Minerals Resources;
• Katsina State Tourism Policy;
• Katsina State Climate Change Policy and Plan of Action; and Katsina State Policy for the Development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSMEs).

Distinguish invited Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, in specific terms, Katsina State Government is focusing on the development of the necessary infrastructure for making our State a real hub for industrialization and commerce. My government recognizes the fact that sustainable development requires infrastructural facilities and uninterrupted supply of quality utilities of power, water, common support services and a myriad of development interventions.

Before I conclude, I would like to invite investors to Katsina State, the home of heritage and hospitality and also home of investment opportunities in the areas the State is known for, namely, agriculture, solid minerals, tourism and hospitality as well as fora like this one.

I wish to thank all of you and wish everyone safe journey back to your respective destinations.

May God bless you all.

Thank you