Surrounded by city walls 13 miles (21 km) in length, Katsina is believed to have been founded circa 1500. In pre-Islamic times Katsina's semi-divine ruler was known as the Sarki, who faced a summary death-sentence if found to be ruling incompetently. From the 17th to the 18th century, Katsina was the commercial heart of hausaland and became the largest of the seven Hausa city-states. Katsina was conquered by the Fulani in 1807, becoming subsidiary to nearby Kano. In 1903 the Emir accepted British rule.
The city has steel and groundnut oil mills, and a famous mosque. In August 2000, Katsina became one of the first Northern Nigerian states to adopt Islamic Sharia law. Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'adua was elected in May 1999 as the state's First Civilian Governor after the demise of the Military Dictatorship in the country. The state saw rapid growth in terms of agriculture and commerce. ICT is an area where the state has just started taking seriously. N.I.V.Internet Services in partnership with the state Government, is seriously exploring areas of co-orporation so that all the secondary schools leavers in the state are computer literate.
In 2006, The state Government invited some indegineous professionals in different fields to an economic development summit with a view to chart a blueprint for developing the state within 5-10 years.
Cities in Nigeria | Nigerian state capitals
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