What does it take to turn a side hustle into a success story? For some small business owners in Ondo State, it was the Federal Government surprising them with a ₦250,000 boost, no loans, no fine print.
On Tuesday, the Federal government disbursed N250,000 unconditional grants each to outstanding business owners in Ondo State, as part of ongoing efforts to empower Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises across the country. No loans. No repayments, just full support from the Federal Government in Ondo State during the latest edition of the National MSME Clinics held in Akure.
Speaking at the event, Vice President Kashim Shettima said the grants were an expression of the government’s appreciation for grassroots businesses.
“I am also pleased to announce today, in line with President Tinubu’s unwavering support for grassroots enterprises, that every outstanding exhibiting MSME identified during this clinic will receive an unconditional grant of ₦250,000,” the vice-president said.
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The initiative is part of the federal government’s broader effort to create a stronger environment for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSEMEs), a sector that accounts for over 90 per cent of business in Nigeria and provides livelihoods to more than 60 million Nigerians.
The Akure clinic, the seventh in its series, offered business owners a rare opportunity to interact directly with regulatory agencies, financial institutions, and business support organizations, cutting through the usual bureaucracy. Vice President Shettima emphasised that the Tinubu administration’s renewed Hope Agenda places MSMEs at the heart of national development and poverty reduction, noting that real economic growth must begin with those creating jobs at the grassroots level.
The government also highlighted other interventions designed to support entrepreneurs, including a ₦75 billion MSME fund managed by the Bank of Industry, and a ₦50 billion conditional grant scheme targeting one million nano businesses nationwide. Ondo state Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa said that the state is fully aligned with the federal push, citing his administration’s seven-point development agenda, which places MSMEs at the centre of job creation and innovation across agriculture, manufacturing, and fashion.
He praised the federal government’s hands-on approach, describing the grants and clinics as ä powerful signal that small businesses are not alone.
Vice President Shettima encouraged participants to fully engage with agencies and take advantage of the available opportunities, promising that the government remains focused on solving problems in real-time.
