President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved an unconditional grant of ₦250,000 for each outstanding Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise (MSME) exhibiting at the 9th Expanded National MSME Clinic held in Katsina on Tuesday.
Hikaya Newspaper reports that Vice President Kashim Shettima, who announced the approval, said the gesture underscores the President’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for small businesses to thrive.
Speaking at the event held at the Continental Events and Sports Complex, Katsina, the Vice President disclosed that over 39,000 MSMEs in the state have so far benefited from federal interventions worth about ₦2.5 billion, while 23 rural enterprises accessed ₦112 million under the Rural Area Programme on Investment for Development.
He also revealed that the Federal Government has launched a ₦75 billion MSME Intervention Fund through the Bank of Industry, offering loans of up to ₦5 million at nine per cent interest to 75,000 businesses nationwide, alongside a ₦50 billion Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme targeting one million nano businesses.
Shettima commended Governor Dikko Umaru Radda for his strong commitment to enterprise development through the establishment of the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA), describing it as a model for building small businesses into national and global brands.
He further lauded the collaboration between the federal and state governments, noting that both recently launched a ₦5 billion MSME Growth Fund, which has disbursed ₦576 million to 237 beneficiaries. The Vice President emphasized that Katsina, home to over 1.7 million MSMEs, represents the resilience and innovation of Nigerian entrepreneurs.
Responding, Governor Radda announced a six-month post-event mentorship programme for all participants, explaining that over 100,000 entrepreneurs across Katsina’s 34 local governments have benefited from state-level interventions since 2023.
He disclosed that the state has established a ₦5.5 billion MSME Fund, with over ₦1 billion already disbursed to 701 businesses. The governor said the state has also completed an MSME census, developed a five-year strategic plan, and trained 1,500 youths under the NATA-MASP apprenticeship programme.
Earlier, Deputy Governor Malam Faruk Lawal Jobe described Shettima’s presence as a reflection of his humility and support for innovation and youth empowerment. The Director-General of KASEDA, Hajiya Aisha Aminu, said the clinic marked the agency’s second anniversary, bringing together over 500 exhibitors and dozens of agencies to provide real-time business solutions.
The event drew ministers, lawmakers, business leaders, and development partners, including goodwill messages from federal officials and heads of key MSME-support institutions.