FG awards N100 million grants to 200 young MSMEs ……. 120 received instant N500, 000 funds for economy growth

Babatunde Ayeni

 The Federal Government has awarded one hundred million naira grants to selected two hundred entrepreneurs across the country in order to drive Economic growth. The grants were the initiative of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Technical Vocational and Entrepreneurship Education, TVEE, Abiola Arogundade where one hundred and twenty young MSMEs went home with five hundred thousand naira each to boost their businesses.

 Disbursing the grants at the Graduation and Grant Presentation Ceremony in Abuja, Arogundade assured young Nigerians of President Bola Tinubu commitment to promoting technical and entrepreneurship education among the youths in the country. Arogundade said, “today, we are giving out N500,000 Naira grants each to 120 winners with the best Business Plans.

We are also giving out honourary awards to 80 persons seen to be doing very well in their Technical, Vocational and Entrepreneurship skills but need support to upscale their businesses.

 “We also promised to give Certificate of Completion to all participants who completed the training and to assist participants, especially new start-ups, to register their companies”, she said. Arogundade noted that “TVEE Unlock” was one of numerous programmes of Renewed Hope Agenda to support skills and enterprise. She said, “I am here to assure you that the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, is thinking about you, not just because of this programme but because of the numerous initiatives he is creating across the country to promote TVET”.

 “An example of this is the inclusion of TVET in the Students Loans, Inauguration of Skills Council in the Presidency, Human Capital Development Council, in collaboration with the Governors under the National Economic Council, SUPA (Skill-Up Artisans), ITF and numerous others. We once again congratulate the 120 winners of our TVET grant and also our 80 honourary winners who will be going home with our grants today.

 It is our belief that the grants will serve as incentive for progress in your businesses going forward”, Arogundade said. Addressing the beneficiaries, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga enjoined youths to look beyond tertiary education but embrace skills acquisition that could enhance economic development.

 The selected youths were asked to record and send two minutes video of their current skills and were trained for ten days on how to write bankable business plan after which Certificates of Completion were issued to deserving participants of “TVEE Unlocking Training programme”.

 A good number of inmates from Nigeria Correctional Service have been trained on various skills under TVEE initiative last year. Eighty out of two hundred the participants were only supported with funds to upscale their existing businesses. Also four Solar kiosks were distributed for fresh entrepreneurs as startup facilities.