The Nigerian government has reaffirmed its unwavering focus on building inclusive prosperity through enterprise-driven reforms.
Vice President Kashim Shettims disclosed this on Tuesday in Katsina State when he launched the 9th Expanded National MSME Clinic.
The Vice President announced President Tinubu’s approval of the federal government’s ₦250,000 grant for each outstanding Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) exhibiting at the clinic.
“We are building a nation where every Nigerian entrepreneur — from our cities to our rural communities — has access to the tools and opportunities needed to thrive. This is the spirit of enterprise that will drive Nigeria’s renewed hope,” he declared.
He said the grant approved by President Bola Tinubu is part of the current administration’s renewed efforts to strengthen the backbone of Nigeria’s economy and promote inclusive growth.
Financial Support
VP Shettima further disclosed that the administration has introduced several other major support programmes, including a ₦75 billion Manufacturers Fund to provide financial support to businesses in the manufacturing sector.
The vice president said the ₦250,000 grant is a non-repayable intervention designed to empower innovative entrepreneurs and support the administration’s drive for enterprise-led national transformation.
“His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has approved an unconditional grant of ₦250,000 for each outstanding MSME exhibiting at today’s clinic. This is a non-repayable grant. It reflects the President’s commitment to removing the barriers that have historically held back our MSMEs,” he said.
The Vice President described MSMEs as the foundation of national foresight and a vital pillar of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“We came into office bearing the promise to ease the affairs of our nation, and our gateway to this is the assurance of support for our businesses. Our micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises stand as the foundation of this foresight, and that explains our presence here in Katsina today,” he said.
He commended Governor Dikko Radda for his leadership and innovation in enterprise development in Katsina State, noting that the establishment of the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA) demonstrated a strong commitment to building a thriving business ecosystem.
VP Shettima announced that under the Rural Area Programme on Investment for Development, 23 MSMEs in rural Katsina had received ₦112 million as support to scale up their operations.
He further disclosed that the ₦5 billion Katsina State MSME Growth Fund, a joint initiative between the Federal and state governments, had already disbursed ₦576 million to 237 beneficiaries since its launch in June 2024.
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, said the priority accorded to MSMEs in the state stemmed from the acknowledgement of the impact of MSMEs on economic growth, noting that enterprise development remains a cornerstone of his administration’s blueprint, which is transforming over 100,000 small businesses across the state.
While appreciating the commitment and passion of the Vice President for MSME development in Nigeria, the Governor assured that the state government will continue to nurture and track the progress of all participants of the 9th MSME clinics to ensure that their growth is sustained and their needs for market access and business development.
Addressing Challenges
The Special Adviser to the President on Job Creation and MSME, Mr Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, said the Tinubu administration is coordinating development partners and stakeholders to address bottlenecks facing small business entrepreneurs across the country.
He said issues around access to finance and market outreach are progressively being addressed through specialised government interventions and target programmes of the Federal Government.
In separate remarks, the Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa and his Arts, Culture and Creative Economy counterpart, Barrister Hannatu Musawa, applauded the resilience and commitment of the state government in collaboration with other stakeholders to tackle critical issues confronting MSMEs, including capacity building for job creation and economic expansion.
Goodwill messages were delivered by the chief executives of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Nigerian Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank, Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), and Bank of Industry (BOI), among other representatives of partners.
Projects
Shortly after the launch of the 9th Expanded National MSME Clinics, the Vice President inaugurated the dual carriage of Central Mosque – Kofar Murasa – Kiddies Roundabout to WTC Roundabout Road 4 and the state-of-the-art Agricultural Data and Control Centre for the Katsina State Sustainable Platform for Agriculture (KASPA).
Speaking on the significance of the two projects executed by the state government, the vice president commended the vision and foresight of the state, saying through platforms like KASPA, agriculture can be made aspirational again, “a career for the young, a calling for the ambitious, and a catalyst for the creative.”
Applauding the state governor, he said the launch of KASPA resonates far beyond Katsina, telling a national story: that when states innovate, Nigeria rises.