Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has announced financial grants for more than 62,000 nano, micro and small businesses, alongside 2,000 purpose-built kiosks and customised signages across the state’s 34 local government areas.
Implemented through the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA), the initiative forms part of the administration’s Building Your Future Agenda. It aims to strengthen grassroots businesses through financial support, better facilities and improved visibility.
Under the programme, nano enterprises are expected to receive ₦50,000 each, micro enterprises ₦100,000 and small enterprises ₦150,000. The grants are intended to support working capital, improve productivity and help businesses expand.
Radda announced the initiative at a flag-off ceremony at Bello Kofar Bai Hall, Katsina State Secretariat. He described small businesses as central to job creation, wealth generation and the state’s economic growth.
“Our entrepreneurs are not merely participants in our economy; they are its engine room. When we strengthen them, we strengthen the very foundation of Katsina State,” he said.
The governor also announced 2,000 purpose-built kiosks for vulcanisers. The facilities are intended to improve working conditions, security and productivity. Local fabricators are producing the kiosks, creating additional opportunities for artisans in the state.
The programme also includes customised business signages to help customers identify participating enterprises and locate their products and services. Radda said the three-part approach followed a mapping exercise along major road corridors that identified gaps in financing, infrastructure and business visibility.
Digital database for businesses
Radda said the government had developed an integrated digital enterprise database and management platform to support beneficiary verification, planning, monitoring and accountability. It is expected to provide information about business locations, operating conditions and enterprise needs, helping officials design targeted interventions for women-owned businesses, youth entrepreneurs and underserved communities.
The platform is also intended to reduce duplication and guide future investments, with safeguards for data protection and responsible information sharing.
Radda said his administration had disbursed more than ₦3.5 billion in non-interest financing to over 6,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, with repayments beginning. He added that 5,373 jobs had been facilitated and more than 10,000 businesses formalised in 2025.
He also cited Kosai Republic, a KASEDA-supported business that won ₦7.5 million at the 2026 National MSMEs Awards, as an example of local enterprise potential.
KASEDA Director-General, Dr Babangida Kabir Ruma, said the initiative followed an extensive mapping exercise across all 34 local government areas to identify businesses, assess their operating conditions and determine their needs.
He said the agency had carried out data cleaning, deduplication, eligibility assessment and validation to improve records and support transparent implementation. Ruma thanked the governor and the teams involved in mapping, verification and data management, as well as Cranewood Integrated Services Ltd, the coordinating consultant.
The governor urged beneficiaries to use grants productively, keep proper business records, improve their goods and services and expand their enterprises. He said the government would uphold fairness, transparency and accountability in selecting beneficiaries.
The programme’s three components are designed to address different challenges facing small businesses. The cash grants will provide financial support, kiosks will improve facilities for vulcanisers, while customised signages will strengthen business visibility. Together, the measures are intended to help enterprises attract customers, improve operations and create employment opportunities.
However, the announcement does not provide a breakdown of how many businesses will receive each grant amount or when individual beneficiaries will receive the money. It also does not publish a new application deadline or a dedicated registration portal.
How to apply
The announcement does not provide a public application link or confirm that new applications are open. KASEDA says businesses were identified through mapping and verification across Katsina State’s 34 local government areas. Interested business owners should contact KASEDA or their local government authorities to confirm whether they qualify and whether further registration is possible. Do not pay anyone promising access to the grants.