New Telegraph 
The Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has commended the Development Bank of Nigeria Plc (DBN) for its numerous initiatives aimed at catalysing the growth of the country’s Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs). In his goodwill message as the Special Guest of Honour at the 5th DBN Annual Lecture, held in Abuja recently, the Vice President, who was represented by Dr. Tope Fasua, Special Assistant to the President on Economic Affairs, described the bank’s achievements since its establishment in 2014 as “significant and far-reaching.’’
He said the DBN has facilitated financing for MSMEs and startup businesses, thus enabling the sector to grow and thrive, as well as boosting jobs’ creation and poverty reduction in the country. “DBN’s achievements are significant and far-reaching. The Bank has provided over N787 billion in loans to over 500,000 Micro, Small, and Medium-Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) across Nigeria.
This has created jobs, boosted economic activity, and helped to reduce poverty, which aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s 8 priority areas of ending poverty, achieving food security, economic growth and job creation, access to capital across all segments of society and the economy, inclusivity, security, fairness and rule of law, and anticorruption,’’ he stated.
Highlighting some of the current administration’s achievements, especially concerning MSMEs empowerment, the Vice President said these included the signing of two Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) deals worth over half a billion dollars; the launch of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) Initiative; the distribution of one million conversion kits to commercial vehicles, and the creation of Consumer Credit Corporation with over N200 billion.
Other achievements, according to him, included $620 million under the Digital and Creative Enterprises (IDiCE) programme; the introduction of Skill-Up Artisans Programme (SUPA); the launch of Nigerian Youth Academy (NIYA); the National Youth Talent Export Programme (NATEP); financial support of over N570 billion to the 36 federating states; the construction of 10 MSME hubs resulting in the creation of 240,000 jobs; and payments of N1 billion each to large manufacturers.
