In a bold move to stimulate grassroots economic growth and reinforce its entrepreneurial ecosystem, the Kaduna State Government has extended direct financial lifelines and given grants to 8,649 Nano, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (NMSMEs) under its ambitious business empowerment framework from 2024 to date.
At the heart of this intervention is the ‘A Kori Talauci Grant Scheme’, a targeted anti-poverty and pro-enterprise programme backed by Governor Uba Sani, with a cumulative disbursement of ₦619 million in grants aimed at keeping small businesses afloat, expanding financial inclusion, and driving local production capacities.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Iliya Timbuark, Managing Director of the Kaduna State Enterprise Development Agency (KADEDA), noted that this financial push through grants aligns squarely with the state’s SUSTAIN Agenda—a strategy blueprint for socioeconomic inclusion, innovation and sustainable enterprise development.
“From capacity building for 3,500 entrepreneurs to grassroots outreach that has sensitised over 60,000 small business operators across the 23 LGAs, we are laying the foundation for an enterprise revolution in Kaduna,” Timbuark said.
Beyond Grants: Building an Enduring SME Infrastructure
The state’s strategy transcends grant-giving. It is architecting a digital and structural ecosystem to institutionalise support for Kaduna’s emerging and struggling enterprises.
Key projects include:
- SMEs Compliance Portal under the proposed Digital Ecosystem and Compliance Infrastructure, designed to simplify business registration, track compliance, and update the database of NMSMEs for smarter policy deployment.
- Kaduna Enterprise Ecosystem Portal (KADEPP) – a one-stop digital platform to connect businesses to funding, advisory services, and market opportunities.
Inclusive Entrepreneurship: Women, Youths, and Agribusiness in Focus
In collaboration with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Development, KADEDA is also supporting niche entrepreneurship segments. These include:
- Tallafin Sana’o’i Na Uba Sani Programme
- SheCoopreneurship – empowering over 2,300 women with access to cooperatives and funding tools.
- Coopreneurship – targeting youth and women-led cooperative ventures.
- Agripreneurship – supporting agri-based enterprises along value chains.
Technology, Innovation, and the Future of Kaduna’s Economy
The development agency has also set its sights on the tech frontier with the planned Tech Startup Support programme, a bold regulatory and funding initiative designed to support Kaduna’s nascent innovation space and attract investment.
Additionally, a ₦1 billion SMEDAN Matching Fund Programme is in the pipeline to further catalyse access to finance for scalable SMEs.
Building a Culture of Enterprise
A state-wide MSME Summit is also expected to bring stakeholders together for investment roundtables, mentorship clinics, and strategic workshops—all aimed at unlocking the potential of Kaduna’s enterprising population.
“Our mission at KADEDA is to create an enabling environment where innovation meets investment and entrepreneurship is backed with action,” Timbuark said.
BRANDECONOMY Insight
Kaduna’s enterprise drive through grants represents a practical case study of subnational economic activism in Nigeria. At a time when national MSMEs are still reeling from macroeconomic shocks—forex scarcity, inflation, and policy uncertainties—Kaduna’s model offers a blueprint in sub-sovereign economic resilience, combining financial intervention with digital strategy, capacity development, and market linkage.
As Nigeria charts a path to economic diversification, Kaduna’s inclusive and tech-savvy approach could well become a north star for other states seeking to lift citizens out of poverty through business sustainability.
Bottom Line: From grants to growth infrastructure, Kaduna is not just disbursing money; it’s building an entrepreneurial state.
