President Bola Tinubu has approved a ₦150,000 grant for each business owner in Jigawa State. Vice President Kashim Shettima announced this during the launch of the AI Expertise Blockchain and Technology Training Initiative in Dutse. He claimed that Nigeria is not just catching up but is on track to lead in technology and economic growth in Africa.
The grant is a direct financial aid that does not require repayment and is aimed at micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). It was introduced alongside the launch of the 4th edition of the Expanded National MSMEs Clinic, which was created to enhance entrepreneurship in the Jigawa region.
Shettima also inaugurated several projects during the event, including subsidised food shops and a solar-powered irrigation scheme covering 20,000 hectares. He flagged off training for 1,000 youths in artificial intelligence and blockchain technology.
The Vice President’s visit comes in the heat of a planned nationwide protest scheduled to kick off in August. The exodus of foreign investors, naira depreciation, high levels of insecurity and increasing hardship have pressed hard on the citizenry, leading to demands that the current administration be dissolved. The difficult business landscape in Nigeria has affected not just the MSMEs that the Presidency now claims to support but also prominent businesses like Dangote Refinery, TotalEnergies and many others who have exited the country.
Read: Ahead Of Nationwide Protests, Nigeria’s National Assembly Begins Seven-Week Recess
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