The morning of 12 August 2025 dawned like any other in Katsina. But at the Government House, the mood was distinctly celebratory. It was International Youth Day, and Governor Malam Dikko Umaru Radda was not just marking the occasion—he was using it to spotlight a transformation quietly reshaping the lives of thousands of young people across the state.
In a press release to journalists and aides, Governor Radda spoke with the conviction of someone who had seen potential firsthand. “Our youths are the changemakers of our time,” he began. “They are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but also the driving force of today.”
Those words weren’t empty. Over the past year, his administration had been rolling out a string of initiatives aimed at tackling one of Nigeria’s toughest development challenges: giving young people the skills, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive in a fast-changing world.
Perhaps the most striking transformation has been at the Katsina Youth Craft Village. Once a modest skills centre, it now hums with the sound of welding torches, sewing machines, and the click-clack of computer keyboards. It has been upgraded into a Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Centre of Excellence, complete with new departments, international accreditation, and partnerships stretching from Kano to Brazil.
In July, the centre graduated 634 young men and women, each leaving with not just a certificate but a starter pack—tools and equipment tailored to their trade. Tailors received sewing machines, welders got toolkits, ICT trainees left with computers. These weren’t symbolic gifts; they were the seeds of small businesses waiting to grow.
To make sure the impact lasts, every graduate was linked to a real employment path. In agriculture, for example, mechanics trained at the Craft Village are now custodians of the newly established Agricultural Mechanisation Centres—one in Katsina city and satellite units in all 34 local government areas. Their job? Operate, maintain, and manage modern machinery that helps farmers work more efficiently.
The agricultural programme is only one piece of the puzzle. Through the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA), the state has committed ₦3.1 billion in its 2025 budget for interest-free revolving loans targeting youth and women-owned MSMEs.
This financial push is backed by training and mentorship. KASEDA’s new Digital Academy has already disbursed ₦10 million to 200 local entrepreneurs, helping them modernise their operations. Another ₦252 million empowerment package reached over 1,000 youths—part of a deliberate strategy to lure them away from political thuggery and towards productive enterprise.
Governor Radda’s youth agenda also carries a strong gender focus. Renovated and re-equipped skills centres in Katsina, Kaita, Funtua, and Baure have graduated 455 girls, each walking away with both equipment and cash support. In schools, the Girl Education Development Initiative is reducing dropout rates by providing learning materials and conditional cash transfers to over 104,000 girls in 255 schools.
For high-achieving young professionals, the administration has gone even further—sponsoring overseas training in cutting-edge fields. One youth innovator is currently in an international software training programme, while 68 students are studying Artificial Intelligence and Biotechnology in China, and 44 others are pursuing medical degrees in Egypt.
In the heart of Katsina city, another revolution is unfolding—this one behind computer screens. The Kirkira Innovation Hub, Northern Nigeria’s first tech hub, has trained over 3,000 young people in coding, app development, and digital entrepreneurship. Supported by the federal iDICE programme, it has already become a launchpad for new startups.
Meanwhile, community-based youth leadership forums are emerging in every local government area, giving young people a stronger voice in decision-making and fostering civic responsibility.
For Governor Radda, these aren’t just government programmes—they’re personal. A former teacher and lifelong youth development advocate, he sees each success story as proof that investing in young people changes not just individual lives, but whole communities.
“As we celebrate International Youth Day,” he said in closing, “I call on our young people to remain focused, disciplined, and committed to their dreams. Together, we will build a Katsina State and a Nigeria that truly reflects the aspirations of its vibrant youth population.”
In a country where youth unemployment is often discussed as a problem too big to fix, Katsina’s experiment is showing something different: with the right mix of skills, tools, and trust, young people can be more than beneficiaries of development—they can be its driving force. And make no mistake about that...
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