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

Nigeria, South Africa Meet to Resolve Visa, other issues

By: Michael Mike

Nigeria and South Africa have agreed to resolve the issues of visa restrictions between both countries.

Both countries are in the process of adopting simplified visa processes for business people.

At a meeting of top government functionaries from the two African powerhouses in Abuja on Tuesday, they both reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen cooperation in the area of trade and investment, defence, energy and people to people exchanges.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu led her nation’s delegation while the South Africa’s team was led by the country’s Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ms. Thandi Moraka to the Abuja Political Consultations between both countries.

Both countries, according to a communique issued at the end of the meeting also agreed to address challenges that hinder greater economic integration.

The political consultation was meant to strengthen the longstanding bonds of friendship, cooperation, solidarity between the two countries, and pursuant to the decision to adopt and sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Political Consultations during the 10th Session of the Bi-National Commission (BNC) held in Abuja, Nigeria in December 2021.

After much deliberations, the meeting, according to the communique reviewed the following amongst others:

“In terms of the Liberalisation of Visa Restrictions, it was noted that both countries are in the process of adopting simplified visa processes for businesspeople to remedy persisting visa-related challenges”.

The two Ministers also welcomed “the finalisation of the MoU on the Early Warning Mechanism, seeing it as a transformative tool in addressing consular and migration issues. They emphasized that effective implementation of the MoU is crucial to strengthening coordination, streamlining the movement of people and goods between the two countries, thereby contributing to social, cultural, technical, scientific, tourism, and private business sector growth.”

The communique also stated “Both sides acknowledged that the cultural exchanges between the two countries remain strong. Nigeria and South Africa cooperate in the film industry through an official Audio-Visual Cooperation Agreement, signed in 2021. This agreement facilitates co-production, skills transfer, investment, and joint promotion of their audio-visual sectors. Collaborations include sharing technical expertise, shooting on location in both countries, and joint participation in industry events.

“In the area of Transport, it was noted with satisfaction that the MoU between South Africa and Nigeria on the Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) and the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) was signed on 17 January 2025 in Johannesburg.”

The parties also discussed “the MoU on Standards and Standardisation between the Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON) and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) that could not be signed in Cape Town during the BNC held in 2024. It was agreed that it would be signed in March, 2025”.

Nigeria and South Africa, the communique also said would work towards the operationalisation of the Joint Ministerial Advisory Council on Industry, Trade and Investment (JMACITI).

The Session, the communique also noted expressed concern that the 3rd Consular and Migration Forum (CMF) has not taken place and requested that this be convened during the 1st quarter of the year 2026 in Pretoria, and matters related to migration and consular be discussed and reviewed as was agreed in the 10th BNC.”

The meeting commended the work of the Defence and Security Working Group, which convened the 6th Session of the Defence Committee (DEFCOM) in Abuja from 1-5 September 2025, to review progress on the implementation of the 11th BNC decision. “The co-chairs encouraged other Working Groups to intensify efforts to ensure the timely execution of all agreed decisions.

The meeting also applauded the formal establishment of a Joint Implementation Committee (JIC), which is to be co-chaired by the leaders of the Working Groups. The JIC will serve as the monitoring and evaluation mechanism and structure of all the bilateral issues that have been agreed upon in the last two (2) BNCs held in 2021 and 2024, and Political Consultation, as well as future engagements. The Session also directed that the Joint Implementation Committee (JIC) must meet quarterly (virtually) for monitoring and evaluation in order to manage the implementation of all BNC decisions.

They also expressed commitment to holding regular Political Consultations for continued bilateral engagements.

“The Co-chairs acknowledged the work that is underway in preparation for the G20 Africa Outreach meeting on Industrialization and Agriculture, that will be hosted in Abuja on 3 November 2025. This meeting will amplify Africa’s perspectives on industrialization, sustainable agriculture, and value-chain development within the global economic agenda.

The Parties agreed that the next Political Consultation, which would be preceded by the Mid-Term Review Meeting, would be held in Abuja, Nigeria, in 2026 on dates and venues to be mutually agreed, and conveyed through diplomatic channels.

Nigeria, South Africa Meet to Resolve Visa, other issues

UNICEF Generation Unlimited Nigeria Impacts Over 11 Million Youth in Four Years

By: Michael Mike

Generation Unlimited Nigeria (GenU 9JA), UNICEF’s Public-Private-Youth-Partnership platform, has been officially institutionalized under the Office of the Vice President, which marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s youth development initiatives.

According to a statement by the Communication Officer, United Nations Children’s Fund, Blessing Ejiofor, since its launch in 2021, GenU 9JA has successfully impacted over 11 million young Nigerians across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with a particular emphasis on young women and marginalized youth, adding that, the initiative provides vital access to digital learning, employment pathways, and civic engagement opportunities.

Ejiofor noted that during the annual Steering Committee meeting in Lagos, co-chaired by the Office of the Vice President, UNICEF Nigeria, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, representatives from government, the private sector, development partners, and youth leaders convened to review progress and set priorities for 2026 and beyond.

She said in 2025, GenU 9JA significantly enhanced its impact by forming strategic partnerships with Airtel, MTN, IHS Towers, Unilever, Microsoft, Jobberman, CISCO, AfricaRe, and ATC Nigeria, providing over 255,000 young people with access to mobile data and digital learning resources, stressing that the Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA) programme successfully connected more than 400,000 youth to skills development, livelihoods and empowerment opportunities, with around 20,000 young women acquiring technical and digital skills and over 85,000 receiving mentorships through the Future-X Campus Ambassadors Program. Civic engagement saw a notable increase, with over 665,000 youth participating in social impact initiatives, and more than 300,000 youth mobilized for environmental action through the Green Rising initiative.

According to the Special Assistant to the President, Strategy and Policy (Workforce Development), Office of the Vice President (OVP) Rimamskeb Nuhu, “the mission of GenU 9JA aligns with the Government of Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Digital Access and Livelihoods Initiative (DALI), initiatives that aim to open more pathways for youth employment and entrepreneurship.”

UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, announced that GenU 9JA has been institutionalized under the Office of the Vice President. “With over 11 million young Nigerians impacted in four years, we are on track to achieve our goal of supporting 20 million young people in their transition from learning to earning by 2030,” Wafa stated. “This step reflects the government’s strong commitment to creating opportunities for young people across the country.”

“The private sector, particularly young entrepreneurs, are the engines of Africa’s transformation. The Tony Elumelu Foundation will continue to provide Africa’s youth with the mentorship, resources, and networks that is required to build sustainable businesses through our partnership with UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited.” Added Somachi Chris-Asoluka, CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Despite the progress made so far, GenU 9JA is looking to support 2.5 million youth with jobs, training, and entrepreneurship in 2026. This plan will include scaling YOMA from the current 400,000 to 2 million users, expanding Green Rising to universities, and offering grants to youth-led start-ups.

Shamiyah Umar, a member of the UNICEF Young People’s Action Team (YPAT) and the founder of the We Are Special Foundation, stated, “Being a part of UNICEF GenU 9JA has allowed me to make a meaningful difference in my community and positively impact the lives of people with disabilities. At GenU 9JA, young people are not just participants; we are leaders shaping the future we want, despite our diverse abilities.”

As the initiative enters its next phase, partners reaffirmed their commitment to collective action and investment in young people, recognizing them as central to Nigeria’s social and economic progress.

GenU 9JA Generation Unlimited Nigeria (GenU 9JA) is UNICEF’s youth platform launched in 2021 to support Nigerians aged 10–24 in transitioning from learning to earning. By 2030, it aims to reach 20 million youth with digital education, skills, and civic opportunities. Co-led by the Vice President and UNICEF, GenU 9JA has empowered over 11 million youth through partnerships with 40+ organizations nationwide.

Generation Unlimited Nigeria (GenU 9JA), UNICEF’s Public-Private-Youth-Partnership platform, has been officially institutionalized under the Office of the Vice President, which marks a major milestone in Nigeria’s youth development initiatives.

According to a statement by the Communication Officer, United Nations Children’s Fund, Blessing Ejiofor, since its launch in 2021, GenU 9JA has successfully impacted over 11 million young Nigerians across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with a particular emphasis on young women and marginalized youth, adding that, the initiative provides vital access to digital learning, employment pathways, and civic engagement opportunities.

Ejiofor noted that during the annual Steering Committee meeting in Lagos, co-chaired by the Office of the Vice President, UNICEF Nigeria, and the Tony Elumelu Foundation, representatives from government, the private sector, development partners, and youth leaders convened to review progress and set priorities for 2026 and beyond.

She said in 2025, GenU 9JA significantly enhanced its impact by forming strategic partnerships with Airtel, MTN, IHS Towers, Unilever, Microsoft, Jobberman, CISCO, AfricaRe, and ATC Nigeria, providing over 255,000 young people with access to mobile data and digital learning resources, stressing that the Youth Agency Marketplace (YOMA) programme successfully connected more than 400,000 youth to skills development, livelihoods and empowerment opportunities, with around 20,000 young women acquiring technical and digital skills and over 85,000 receiving mentorships through the Future-X Campus Ambassadors Program. Civic engagement saw a notable increase, with over 665,000 youth participating in social impact initiatives, and more than 300,000 youth mobilized for environmental action through the Green Rising initiative.

According to the Special Assistant to the President, Strategy and Policy (Workforce Development), Office of the Vice President (OVP) Rimamskeb Nuhu, “the mission of GenU 9JA aligns with the Government of Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the Digital Access and Livelihoods Initiative (DALI), initiatives that aim to open more pathways for youth employment and entrepreneurship.”

UNICEF Nigeria Country Representative, Ms. Wafaa Saeed, announced that GenU 9JA has been institutionalized under the Office of the Vice President. “With over 11 million young Nigerians impacted in four years, we are on track to achieve our goal of supporting 20 million young people in their transition from learning to earning by 2030,” Wafa stated. “This step reflects the government’s strong commitment to creating opportunities for young people across the country.”

“The private sector, particularly young entrepreneurs, are the engines of Africa’s transformation. The Tony Elumelu Foundation will continue to provide Africa’s youth with the mentorship, resources, and networks that is required to build sustainable businesses through our partnership with UNICEF’s Generation Unlimited.” Added Somachi Chris-Asoluka, CEO of the Tony Elumelu Foundation.

Despite the progress made so far, GenU 9JA is looking to support 2.5 million youth with jobs, training, and entrepreneurship in 2026. This plan will include scaling YOMA from the current 400,000 to 2 million users, expanding Green Rising to universities, and offering grants to youth-led start-ups.

Shamiyah Umar, a member of the UNICEF Young People’s Action Team (YPAT) and the founder of the We Are Special Foundation, stated, “Being a part of UNICEF GenU 9JA has allowed me to make a meaningful difference in my community and positively impact the lives of people with disabilities. At GenU 9JA, young people are not just participants; we are leaders shaping the future we want, despite our diverse abilities.”

As the initiative enters its next phase, partners reaffirmed their commitment to collective action and investment in young people, recognizing them as central to Nigeria’s social and economic progress.

GenU 9JA Generation Unlimited Nigeria (GenU 9JA) is UNICEF’s youth platform launched in 2021 to support Nigerians aged 10–24 in transitioning from learning to earning. By 2030, it aims to reach 20 million youth with digital education, skills, and civic opportunities. Co-led by the Vice President and UNICEF, GenU 9JA has empowered over 11 million youth through partnerships with 40+ organizations nationwide.

UNICEF Generation Unlimited Nigeria Impacts Over 11 Million Youth in Four Years