Katsina is a state in Nigeria. It’s an area where two ancient kingdoms of Katsina and Daura existed.
The area is located in the Sahel Savannah region of northern Nigeria between latitudes 11007’49N – 13022’57 North and longtitude 6052’03E9002’40 East.
Katsina neighbours are Zamfara and Sokoto States to the west, Jigawa and Kano to the east, Maradi and Damagaram in Niger Republic to the east and north east and Kaduna State to the South.
Climate and Vegetation
The State extends from the tropical grassland known as the Savannah to Arid Zone to the North. Like any other part of the tropics, there are two main seasons; wet and dry season. Rainy season is larger in the southern part of the State where it lasts up to five months, while in the northern part of the State it lasts for four months. The average temperature of the State is between 21 – 30 degrees centigrade.
The creation of the State in 1987 brought with it the usual increase in the volume of economic and social activities attendant to a new State. The major crops produced in the State are millet, guinea corn, groundnut, cotton, maize, beans, rice and wheat. The State is the largest producer of cotton in Nigeria. Livestock production is also a major occupation of the people.
Mineral Resources
Different types of mineral resources are bound in many locations across the State. The major once include: Gold, Uranium, Iron ore,. Nikel, Asbestos, Kaolin, Silica Sands, Fire Clay, Lead Oxide, Manganese, Ball Clay and various types of precious stones.
Crops
The major crops produced in the State include maize, guinea corn, millet, groundnut, cassava rice, beans sugarcane and cocoa yam.
Occupation
Agriculture is the main occupation of the people of Katsina State for almost every (male) is engaged in some form of agriculture.
Farming is mostly practiced in the traditional way using traditional implements such as hoe and ox-driven plough. Modern farming is equally gaining ground in the State with large-scale farming. The crops grown in the State include, Millets, Guinea Corn, Groundnut, Maize, Cotton, Rice, Yam, Cassava, Sugar cane and Soya beans. Animal husbandry is another occupation in the State. This is why the State has abundant meat and milk. Not only those, vegetables are grown in abundance. Vegetables such as tomatoes, onions, lotus and pepper.
A part from Agriculture, craft works is another traditional occupation of the people of Katsina State. These include Cloth Weaving, Iron works, Pottery and Ceramics, Leather works, Wood and Calabash carvings and Raffia works.
Major Industries
The State has a number of industries such as the Dana Steel formerly Katsina Steel Rolling Company, Saulawa Machines and Fabrication Factory, Hamada Carpets, Funtua Textiles, Shema Industries Dutsin-ma, Funtua Cotton Seeds Crushing Company, Katsina Oil Mill, Funtua Bottling Company, Northern Dairies Funtua, Funtua Burnt Bricks Factory, Kankara Kaolin Processing Company, Funtua Cotton Ginnery, Malumfashi Cotton Ginnery, Katsina Flour Mills among others.
Educational institutions
There have been in existence Islamic Schools and other centers of scholarship as far back 14th century. The famous Gobarau Islamic Centre and Mosque, which at that time was the center of learning in the whole of Western Sudan was constructed during the reign of Sarkin Katsina Muhammadu Korau (1348 – 1398 AD). At present the State has three Universities, namely Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Alqalam University and Federal University Dutsinma. Other Institutions of Higher Learning include Hassan Usman Katsina Polytechnic, FCE Katsina, Isa Kaita College Dutsinma, Yusuf Bala Usman College of Legal Daura, School of Basic Studies Funtua, e.t.c.
Transport
The State is connected with excellent road network. Beside this, there is also an International Airport located in the State Capital.
Health services
The State has many Health Institutions scattered across. These include General Hospitals, Comprehensive Health Centres, Dispensaries, Federal Medical Centre and Ibrahim Shehu Shema Orthopedic/Specialist Hospital located in the State Capital.
Water resources
The State is blessed with abundant underground water, dams and streams, which are used for domestic purposes as well as dry season farming. Some of these dams include Zobe Dam in Dutsinma Local Government Area, Ajiwa Dam in Batagarawa Local Government Area, Sabke Dam in Mai’adua Local Government Area, Jibia Dam in Jibia Local Government Area and Mairuwa and Gwagwaye Dams in Funtua Local Government Area and a host of others.
Financial institutions
Almost all the major financial institutions in the Country are represented in the State. There is also a branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria in the State Capital.
Power supply
Nearly 90% of the towns and villages in the State have been connected to the National Grid. At present, there is a Wind Power Generating Project at Marabar Rimi, which is expected to produce 10 megawatts of electricity. The project is the first of its kind in the Federation.
Telecommunication services
These include MTN, Airtel, Etisalat, Glo, e.t.c. Beside this, there are also courier services in the State complementing private telecommunication companies respectively.
