Katsina State Governor Dikko Umaru Radda has approved a N1 million take off package for each of the 361 young agripreneurs who graduated from the second batch of the Dikko Radda Agripreneurship Training and Empowerment Scheme Songhai DRATESS-Songhai.
Governor Radda announced the package on Thursday at the graduation ceremony for trainees of the Makera Songhai Comprehensive center Katsina. Under the arrangement, each beneficiary will receive an initial N500,000 while the remaining N500,000 will be disbursed in phases based on the establishment and performance of viable agribusiness enterprises.
The Governor described the graduation as a significant milestone in his administration’s efforts to move agriculture in Katsina from subsistence production towards a modern, technology driven and commercially viable sector. He said the ceremony was not merely about the presentation of certificates but a celebration of the knowledge acquired, skills developed, confidence built and opportunities created through the programme.
Radda stressed that agriculture should no longer be regarded merely as an activity for producing food but as a business, profession, investment opportunity and a powerful instrument for economic transformation. He said his administration was building a productive, climate smart, market oriented and innovation driven agricultural system capable of creating employment and strengthening the state’s economy.
According to him, DRATESS-Songhai provides young people with practical skills across crop production, livestock, fisheries, agro-processing, renewable energy, waste recycling and agribusiness. He added that the initiative was designed to give beneficiaries the technical knowledge and entrepreneurial capacity required to establish sustainable businesses rather than depend solely on conventional employment opportunities.
The Governor also announced plans to upgrade and expand the Makera Songhai Centre to accommodate up to 1,000 trainees at a time. He challenged the graduates to think beyond small scale businesses and build enterprises capable of creating jobs, transforming communities and contributing substantially to the state’s economic growth.
“I want to see some of the next Dangotes coming from you. Think beyond small businesses. Build enterprises that will create jobs and transform communities” Radda told the graduates, urging them to turn the skills acquired into productive ventures.
He further advised the beneficiaries not to depend on their certificates as a pathway to government employment but to use their training as a foundation for enterprise development. The Governor said the state’s abundant agricultural resources could only become sustainable economic opportunities when young people were equipped to transform farms into businesses, businesses into industries and industries into opportunities for the wider population.
He assured the graduates that the government would continue to link them with financial institutions, investors, markets and relevant development programmes. He also encouraged them to sustain cooperative societies, noting that collective action could improve their access to finance, agricultural inputs and markets while strengthening the sustainability of their businesses.
Earlier, the Coordinator of the Agricultural Development Programmes Unit ADPU, Dr. Suleiman Umar said DRATESS-Songhai was designed as a practical pathway from training to enterprise development, income generation and job creation. He disclosed that 361 youths graduated from the second batch after the pilot phase produced 102 beneficiaries while another 361 young people are currently undergoing training.
Dr. Umar explained that the six month programme combines classroom instruction with practical agricultural training and provides participants with accommodation, three meals daily, sports and recreational facilities as well as a monthly stipend of N30,000. He described the initiative as an investment in human capital, food security, agricultural productivity and the economic future of Katsina.
The Commissioner for Agriculture Hon. Aliyu Lawal Shargalle commended Governor Radda for investing in practical agricultural training and youth empowerment, describing DRATESS-Songhai as a strategic intervention for producing skilled manpower to modernise agriculture and strengthen food security. Similarly, the Director-General of the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA) Dr. Babangida Ruma pledged the agency’s continued partnership and assured the beneficiaries that KASEDA would facilitate the registration of their businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission to strengthen access to finance and markets.
Speaking on behalf of the graduating trainees Hamza Yahaya and Fatima Babangida expressed appreciation to Governor Radda and the Katsina State Government for the training, accommodation, feeding, stipends and other support provided throughout the programme. They pledged to utilise the knowledge and skills acquired to establish productive agribusiness enterprises and contribute to the economic development of the state.
