November 26, (THEWILL) — Vice President Kashim Shettima says the Federal Government remains fully committed to strengthening Kano’s role as one of Nigeria’s leading economic power centres.
Shettima made the statement on Tuesday while declaring open the 46th Kano International Trade Fair, themed “Empowering SMEs for Sustainable Development,” organised by the Kano Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (KACCIMA).
Represented by his Special Assistant on Technical Matters, Dr. Ibrahim Nagwandu, the Vice President highlighted the outsized contribution of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to the national economy.
He noted that by the end of 2024, SMEs accounted for about 84 per cent of Nigeria’s workforce and 48 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
“They are crucial for economic diversification, poverty reduction and job creation. SMEs also play a key role in supplying goods and services to larger corporations,” he said.
According to him, empowering the SME sector is central to the administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with priority areas including access to finance, energy reforms, digital infrastructure, value addition and export promotion.
He noted that the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has introduced several policy initiatives to support SME growth, including the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Fund (MSMEDF), the Agri-Business/SME Investment Scheme (AGSMEIS), and the Export Expansion Grant (EEG).
He also cited the National MSME Policy, and financing programmes run by the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the Development Bank of Nigeria (DBN).
“These policies focus on affordable financing, capacity building, trade facilitation, digital innovation, agricultural value-chain development and creating a more favourable business environment,” he said.
“To SMEs, this is the moment to innovate, scale up and explore export opportunities. I urge our MSME operators in Kano and across Nigeria to leverage these government interventions for shared prosperity.”
In his remarks, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, represented by the Commissioner for Commerce, Mines, Agriculture and Industry, Alhaji Shehu Wada Sagagi, said the state government has continued to provide an enabling business environment, particularly for SMEs.
Yusuf underscored the central role of SMEs in Nigeria’s economic transformation and reaffirmed Kano’s historic status as a major commercial hub, noting that the state has long served as “an inter-regional trade destination for much of the Sahel and parts of sub-Saharan Africa.”
He praised KACCIMA for sustaining the annual fair, describing it as a vital platform bringing together business leaders, investors, policymakers and international partners.
The governor reiterated the state’s commitment to supporting SMEs through programmes such as the MSME Development Fund, AGSMEIS and the Export Expansion Grant, urging entrepreneurs to “innovate, scale up and explore export opportunities,” stressing that “no nation achieves sustainable development without empowering its SMEs.”
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
