FG grants small enterprises in Jigawa N150,000

On Tuesday, the Federal Government extended awards of N150,000 to Jigawa’s exceptional Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Businesses.

The offer was made public by Vice-President Kashim Shettima in Dutse, Jigawa, during the opening of the Expanded National Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises Clinic’s fourth edition.

One of the federal government’s initiatives to make doing business in Nigeria easier is the expansion of the National MSME Clinics.

This will be accomplished by holding a number of business forums around the country that will offer quick fixes for problems that MSMEs face.

Earlier this year, the states of Benue, Ogun, and Ekiti hosted the launches of the first, second, and third editions.

Shettima, who reiterated the federal government’s support to MSMEs, noted that the N150,000 grant “is an outright grant that does not require beneficiaries to repay.”

He said, “I am pleased to announce that His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has mandated that a grant of N150,000 each be awarded to outstanding exhibiting MSMEs at today’s event.

“Rest assured that this is an outright grant, and the beneficiaries will not need to repay it.”

Shettima stated that the MSMEs sub-sector has continued to be a primary focus of the Tinubu administration, serving as the cornerstone of the country’s economy.

In addition to making up 96% of all firms in Nigeria, he pointed out that MSMEs also contributed more than 45% of the country’s GDP.

Shettima continued, saying that 80 percent of the country’s labor depended on MSMEs as a vital lifeline.

“We recognise your essence, and that’s why we are establishing MSME clinics across the nation.

“These clinics will act as incubators for small businesses and offer alternative financing. They will also ensure that you have the support and resources you need to compete and thrive,” he noted.

He noted that the success of small enterprises mirrored Nigeria’s success, and their failure mirrored Nigeria’s failure.

Shettima urged the business owners not to harbour any fear, assuring that the Tinubu administration would not rest until each of them “is in a vantage position to access the support and capital made available for them.”

Governor Umar Namadi earlier expressed gratitude to the federal government for granting the state’s citizens democratic benefits through the MSME Clinics and other relevant initiatives dispersed around the region.

Namadi encouraged the state’s small business owners, both established and aspiring, to utilize the clinics’ services.

He called the program a unique chance for Jigawa’s industry operators.

He noted that through the “Greater Jigawa Initiative,” which offers social protection services and initiatives for the public, the state government was in line with the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

The Jigawa Retail Empowerment Shops’ commissioning and the state’s MSMEs’ inspection of the exhibition pavilions were the highlights of the Malam Aminu Kano Triangle event.

Shettima had earlier turned on the 10-hectare solar-powered irrigation farm at the Sumore Farm in Madobi upon her arrival in Dutse.

Additionally, he oversaw the delivery of agricultural supplies under the NG-CARES Fadama Program and the commissioning of 1,435 J-AGRO Agricultural Extension Agents.

According to NAN, over 26,000 people will profit from the contributions, with 30% of those people being women.

At Yalwawa, Shettima launched the Palliative Shop program. Later, he commissioned a 120KVA solar plant at the Dutse Ultra Modern market.

According to Shettima, the solar unit will guarantee that, during market hours, the entire market has access to at least eight hours of electricity every day.

NAN