Tinubu, Away From UNGA, Welcomes $12m Abuja Entrepreneurship Centre
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is currently outside Nigeria and has again been absent from the ongoing United Nations General Assembly in New York, has welcomed a $12 million entrepreneurship centre being developed in Abuja to support small businesses and create jobs.
Tinubu’s position was contained in a statement issued on Wednesday, September 23, by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, as the 81st UN General Assembly continues in New York without the President in attendance.
It is the third consecutive UN General Assembly that Tinubu has not personally attended. Vice-President Kashim Shettima is representing Nigeria at the ongoing session and is expected to deliver the country’s national statement and participate in high-level engagements. The Presidency has said Tinubu is currently on annual leave and is expected back in Nigeria at the weekend.
While the President remains away from the country, the Presidency says he continues to direct government affairs and has welcomed the construction of the Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship, ACE, describing it as an investment that could give thousands of Nigerian entrepreneurs better access to facilities, technology, training and business support.
The centre is being funded by the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency, KOICA, and developed at the SMEDAN Industrial Development Centre in Idu, Abuja, in partnership with the Federal Government through the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN, and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP.
For entrepreneurs struggling to move from an idea on paper to a functioning business, the project is designed to provide more than office space. It will offer workspaces, digital facilities, training, incubation and enterprise support for aspiring entrepreneurs, start-ups and existing businesses.
The centre initially targets 500 entrepreneurs, 400 start-ups and 1,500 MSMEs, with its services expected to extend beyond Abuja to cities including Kaduna, Jos, Keffi, Lafia, Minna, Makurdi and Lokoja.
Of the $12 million investment, about $5.9 million will be spent on construction, while $6.1 million will fund equipment and programmes designed to support entrepreneurs and businesses.
Tinubu, according to Onanuga, said small businesses remain important to the Nigerian economy because they provide jobs, support families and generate economic activity within communities.
“Many entrepreneurs already have the ideas and the determination to succeed. What they often need is better access to facilities, technology, training and the support that can help their businesses grow,” the President was quoted as saying.
The project also has a human-centred component, with facilities designed to accommodate women and persons with disabilities. A crèche will also be provided for women with young children, potentially making it easier for mothers to participate in entrepreneurship programmes without having to choose between childcare and economic opportunities.
While construction continues, SMEDAN, KOICA and UNDP are expected to work with universities, incubators, financial institutions, private-sector organisations and entrepreneur networks to identify businesses that could benefit from the centre and build a broader support system around them.
The President said the project complements the administration’s investments in digital skills, entrepreneurship, enterprise development and MSME support.
“Our economy will be stronger when more Nigerian businesses can start, survive and grow,” Tinubu said, stressing the need to expand opportunities for enterprise and strengthen the support available to small businesses.
The Presidency also thanked the South Korean government for the investment and commended KOICA, UNDP and SMEDAN for taking the project to the construction stage.
The announcement comes at a time when the Federal Government is defending its decision for Nigeria to be represented at the UN General Assembly by Vice-President Shettima, rather than by Tinubu himself. The government maintains that Nigeria is fully represented and that the President’s absence does not diminish the country’s diplomatic standing.
