Katsina State will receive the Competitiveness and Investment Readiness Awards (SCIRA 2025) from BusinessDay Media Limited. The ceremony, part of the Agriculture Competitiveness and Security Improvement categories, is set for Thursday at Ladi Kwali Hall, Abuja Continental Hotel, formerly the Sheraton. The announcement came in a statement released on Monday by Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor.
"The organisers said the award recognises states making strong progress in reforms, governance, and investment readiness across Nigeria," the statement quoted the organisers. They added that Katsina's selection rests on "verifiable and performance‑driven progress" under Governor Dikko Umaru Radda, especially in agriculture and security. "According to them, the state has repositioned agriculture through bold reforms aimed at improving productivity and strengthening rural economic inclusion."
The mechanisation programme now operates more than 400 tractors and a new Agricultural Mechanisation Centre, while agricultural extension staff have risen from roughly 74 to over 780 officers. Security gains are attributed to a Community Watch Corps that has improved local intelligence and cooperation with conventional agencies, leading to "improved stability across 26 Local Government Areas, which has boosted farming activities and increased investor confidence." Additional achievements cited include the Eastern Bypass, expanded health services, large‑scale teacher recruitment and the digitisation of revenue and treasury systems. The SCIRA evaluation, based on policy execution, economic impact and sustainability, recorded strong performance across all indicators.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda's aggressive push to modernise agriculture has directly earned Katsina the SCIRA 2025 award, turning the state into a showcase of how policy can translate into measurable competitiveness.
The accolade rests on a suite of reforms: a mechanisation drive deploying over 400 tractors, the creation of an Agricultural Mechanisation Centre, and a ten‑fold increase in extension officers to more than 780. Coupled with the Community Watch Corps, these steps have stabilised 26 local government areas, encouraging both farming activity and investor interest. Infrastructure projects such as the Eastern Bypass and digital revenue systems further reinforce the state's development agenda.
For smallholder farmers and rural families, the expanded extension services and improved security mean better access to modern techniques, higher yields and a safer environment to work in. Investors eyeing the north now see a more predictable climate, potentially widening credit and market opportunities for local agribusinesses.
Katsina's trajectory mirrors a broader shift among Nigerian states that are leveraging agriculture as a growth engine, pairing it with security reforms to attract capital and curb out‑migration. The award may spur other regions to adopt similar integrated approaches, intensifying competition for federal resources and private investment.
