- Benue hub to create 48,000 jobs annually
Vice President Kashim Shettima yesterday reaffirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s promises to entrepreneurs are not mere rhetoric, as he commissioned the Ultra-Modern MSME Fashion Clinic & ICT Hubs in Makurdi, Benue State.
He expressed confidence that the hub will match global standards, with the potential to create roughly 48,000 jobs annually in the state.
Represented by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Office of the Vice President, Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia, Shettima stated that the commissioning of the dual-purpose MSME Clinic proves that the administration’s commitments to entrepreneurs are genuine and tangible.
He emphasized that strong intergovernmental partnerships are crucial for achieving durable interventions, expressing delight at the successful completion of the project.
The Benue Fashion and ICT Hub is part of the federal government’s initiatives to support MSME clusters across various industries, providing a conducive environment for businesses to thrive and create employment opportunities.
According to a statement issued by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Information, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha, Shettima noted that the speed at which the hub was built after the MSMEs Clinic was launched in the state earlier this year is a clear indication that promises made by the Tinubu administration to entrepreneurs are not mere rhetoric.
“Today, as we commission this dual-purpose MSME Clinic, we bear witness to two critical truths. First, it proves that our promises to entrepreneurs are not mere rhetoric.
“Secondly, it affirms that the most durable interventions we can achieve as a government are born from strong intergovernmental partnerships. We are delighted to witness the fruition of these projects, and I am honoured to be part of this milestone,” Shettima said.
Senator Shettima explained that the Benue Fashion & ICT Hub and other hubs as well as shared facilities established across Nigeria are the federal government’s intervention targeted at fostering a conducive business and regulatory environment for MSMEs in the country to thrive and prosper.
The Benue MSME Hub, according to him, is one of the largest ever commissioned by the federal government.
He said: “With over 200 pieces of cutting-edge equipment to support fashion manufacturing and more than 100 ICT devices in the cluster, this hub has the capacity to ramp up production, provide ICT training, and achieve economies of scale.
“It is equipped to produce a wide range of fashion items, including military uniforms, school uniforms, and corporate wear, both for Benue State and beyond.
“Beyond providing this cluster, the hub will also house a one-stop shop where MSMEs can engage directly with federal government agencies to resolve their regulatory issues”, he said.
The one-stop shop, he further explained, will ensure that businesses requiring support or services from agencies such as NAFDAC, BOA, CAC, ITF, SON, NEPC, SMEDAN, and others can be attended to under one roof.
VP Shettima expressed the federal government’s readiness to partner with state governments and its resolve to continue to create opportunities that meet the country’s demands, saying interventions such as the MSMEs Clinic fashion and ICT hubs represent.
Noting that MSMEs are the lifeline of communities across the nation, he said they are the bedrock of stability at a critical phase of the nation’s economic transition in times like this, even as he said it would be “impossible to grow the Nigerian economy if the growth and success of MSMEs do not remain a top priority”.
The Vice President acknowledged the numerous challenges preventing the growth and prosperity of MSMEs in Nigeria, pointing out that the Tinubu administration was already providing interventions to address them.
He however said: “With a strong resolve to tackle these challenges, the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has provided interventions like the Benue Fashion Hub and other hubs established across the nation.
“These hubs support MSME clusters across various industries, including fashion and textiles, leather, ICT, agriculture, and cold room facilities. We look forward to establishing additional clusters for mechanic cities, printing, barber shops, shoemaking, and wellness later this year”.
The VP commended what he described as the visionary leadership of Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Iormem Alia, and his dedicated team who, according to him, have worked tirelessly with the team from the Presidency, led by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and MSMEs Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, and other partners, to ensure swift delivery of the MSME facility hub in the country for fashion and ICT.
In his remarks, the state governor, Rev. Fr Alia, thanked the federal government and Vice President Shettima for fulfilling the promise to establish a fashion and MSMEs hub in the state.
He said: “The project represents more than just an infrastructure; it is an embodiment of our collective vision for a prosperous, creative and empowered Benue State,”
While appreciating VP Shettima, the Governor said he was deeply honoured to welcome the VP to Bene State for the second time in less than a year, noting that his commitment to the growth of the country is evident in the VP’s support for initiatives that uplift communities and empower the citizens.
He continued: “Your visit to Benue State, for the second time in less than six months, is a testament to the partnership between Benue State and the federal government, and we deeply appreciate it.
“The Benue State fashion hub, which is your initiative and a gift to the state, is a corner stone of our administration’s agenda to promote creativity, foster innovation, create employment and provide opportunity for our people,”
Noting that the role played by the office of the Vice President and the support of President Tinubu in the realization of all the government of Benue has envisioned cannot be overemphasized, Governor Alia said Vice President Shettima’s love for Benue State and its people is quite overwhelming.
On his part, the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Engr. Joseph Utsev expressed appreciation to President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for their love for Nigerians and for fulfilling their campaign promises, which they said will make life meaningful for Nigerians, adding that this is shown in the project which is being commissioned in Benue State.
He said the Vice President was in Benue in November last year during the launch of the MSMEs Clinics and made a promise that the federal government will support Benue State for a fashion hub and that today, the fashion is commissioned.
Earlier, the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Mrs. Doris Nkiruka Uzoka-Anite, thanked the Vice President for his contributions to the development of the MSMEs in the country, saying the event underscores the commitment of the VP and his team to the industrialization of the communities in Nigeria.
“The various initiatives that your Office is anchoring have contributed positively to Nigeria’s socio-economic environment, to the development of the various sectors which is seen in the commissioning of fashion hubs today,” she stated.
Also in his remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on MSMEs, Adekunle-Johnson, said it was last January that the idea for a fashion hub was envisioned when the Vice President launched the MSME Clinic in Benue State.
He said under the Tinubu administration, five projects have so far been commissioned, while eight are ongoing and will be commissioned before the end of 2024.
He stressed that the Benue Fashion and ICT Hub is the biggest and has capacity to expand depending on what the state wants to add to it.
