STATE HOUSE PRESS RELEASE

VP Shettima: President Tinubu Building Inclusive prosperity Through Enterprise-driven Reforms

Launches 9th Expanded MSMEs Clinic in Katsina, commissions state-owned multi-billion projects

• Attends state’s first MSME Awards

By: Our Reporter

The Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, has reaffirmed the unwavering focus of the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on building inclusive prosperity through enterprise-driven reforms in Nigeria.

“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.

Senator Shettima stated this on Tuesday when he launched the 9th Expanded National MSME Clinic in Katsina State, just as he announced President Tinubu’s approval of Federal Government’s ₦250,000 grant for each outstanding Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) exhibiting at the Clinic.

He said the grant approved by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is part of his administration’s renewed efforts to strengthen the backbone of Nigeria’s economy and promote inclusive growth.

Speaking during the launch of the Expanded MSME Clinic, VP Shettima 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.

In his address titled, “Katsina: The Spirit of Enterprise,” 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 Umaru Radda for his leadership and innovation in enterprise development, 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 (RAPID), 23 MSMEs in rural Katsina had received ₦112 million in 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.

“This matching fund is designed to boost local businesses, and Katsina has shown that it understands what it means to empower entrepreneurs,” Shettima said.

Earlier, 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 of market access and business development.

On his part, 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 enterprenuers across the country.

He said issues around access to finance and market outreach is 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 on collaboration with other stakeholders to tackle critical issues confronting MSMEs, including capacity building for job creation and economic expansion.

Good will messages were delivered by the chief executives of 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.

Shortly after the launch of the 9th Expanded National MSME Clinics, the Vice President commissioned the dual carriage of Central Mosque – Kofar Murasa -Kiddies Roundabout to WTC Roundabout Road 4 and the state-of-the-arts Agricultural Data and Control Center 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.

“It tells the story of a government, like the Katsina State Government that believes in its people’s intelligence, not just their endurance. It tells the story of a future where policy and people finally speak the same language — the language of results.

“So, to the Governor and the people of Katsina, I say: the nation is proud of you. You have not waited for solutions from Abuja; you have built your own. To our partners and implementers: thank you for your diligence. To our farmers: we see you; we honour your labour; and we commit to standing with you; in policy, in infrastructure, and in innovation,” the VP further stated.

Meanwhile, on arrival in Katsina on Monday evening, Vice President Shettima graced the maiden Katsina MSME Awards and the graduation ceremony of the Dikko Innovation Academy.

Speaking at the event, Senator Shettima lauded the legacies of Katsina’s rich heritage in education, culture and hospitality, urging the people of the state to key into President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by learning from the state’s historic legacies.

He said, “Katsina must transform again by processing what it already produces best. As we try to consolidate the development processes with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as deepen the content of our democracy. Indeed, it is always good to come to Katsina.

“This remarkable city provided the ambience, the hospitality, and the facilities to educate and culture generations of people that we all continue to valorise as our founding fathers.”

VP Shettima: President Tinubu Building Inclusive prosperity Through Enterprise-driven Reforms