Katsina is an old city of Northern Nigeria 160 miles South East of the city of Sokoto, and 84 m. N.W. of Kano, close to the border with Niger. Latitude 13 N., Long. 7.41'E. Katsina lies on the river of the same name, which is a tributary of the River Benue. Katsina is capital of Katsina State and the centre of an agricultural region producing groundnuts, cotton, hides, millet and guinea corn.

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.