Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda joined Vice President Kashim Shettima, Finance Minister and other top global investors and tech executives at a high-level roundtable in New York on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly.
The roundtable, Africa Forward: Investing in the Next Decade of Growth, was convened by Flutterwave to chart pathways for scaling African champions into global players through deeper financial infrastructure and unified cross-border payment systems.
The high-level session was attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima, ably represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Sen. Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, and executives from Goldman Sachs, Africa50, 500 Global, Absa, AFC, and Amazon, among others.
Speaking at the event, Governor Radda emphasized the critical role of subnational governments in creating an enabling environment for tech entrepreneurs to thrive.
According to the Governor, innovation scales fastest where policy, infrastructure, and regulation work in its favour.
Governor Radda called for deeper collaboration between state governments and fintechs to advance financial inclusion and expand access to credit for micro, small, and medium enterprises.
“Our MSMEs do not lack ideas or energy. What they lack is access. When government and fintechs work together, we can close that gap,” Governor Radda said.
He also encouraged Nigerian tech companies to look beyond consumer markets and develop more public sector solutions that strengthen transparency and make governance easier for both government and citizens.
The Governor reaffirmed Katsina State Government’s commitment to leveraging technology and strategic partnerships to drive inclusive growth, empower MSMEs, and position the state as an attractive destination for investment.
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