Economy
NESP: Don’t pay to access support grant, Presidency tells artisans
The Presidency has told artisans not to pay anybody, under any guise, while trying to access the support grant under the National Economic Sustainability Plan (NESP).
Mr Tola Johnson, Special Assistant to the President on Micro Small and Medium and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), Office of the Vice President, said this at the inauguration of the Artisan and Transport Support Scheme on Thursday in Abuja.
The Artisan and Transport Support Scheme is a track of the Survival Fund Scheme for MSMEs captured under the NESP drafted by the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo-led committee and approved by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The special assistant, who is also the Project Coordinator, said that the plight of the downtrodden was very important to the President as he had insisted that the ordinary man in the street must benefit from the schemes.
“The scheme is for you; take ownership of it; do not pay anyone one kobo; that is the directive of the President.
“You will not need to go through anybody’s account; it will go straight to your account; if at any point in time there are ambiguities and anybody says I will help you fill your form, you will pay this or that, our numbers are with you; call us at any point you come across anything you do not understand.
“It is not difficult; it is a programme you go online and fill; but is not everybody that has the time to start filling forms.
`What we have done is that we have enumerators across the various states that will approach you. Give your names to your associations, your association leaders will forward these names to the enumerators.
“Your own business is to have a Bank Verification Number(BVN); we will not deal with you if you don’t have a BVN; we will not deal with if you don’t have a bank account; so for you to benefit, ensure you have a bank account and BVN.’’
According to him, associations are the ones required to have CAC documents.
He said that once a small business operator had the unique association number, he could apply on his own.
“It is either you go through your association or you go by yourself,’’ he said.
Johnson said that the scheme was designed to provide 333,000 artisans and transport business operators with a N30,000 operations grant to reduce the effect of income loss during the COVID-19 pandemic and attendant disruptions.
The special assistant said that the scheme aimed to accommodate 9,009 beneficiaries in each state of the federation and the FCT
On her part, Mariam katagum, Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, who performed the inauguration, said the Artisans and Transport Scheme was part of the President’s plans to bring succour to MSMEs.
“This is one of the schemes contained in this omnibus plan; others are the Payroll Support Scheme, the MSME Grants, and the Guaranteed Off-take Schemes.
“We have plans for CAC which is to start free registration for the MSMEs that were hitherto not registered.
“What we have come to inaugurate today is the Artisans and Transport Scheme and explain how you can benefit as associations and union members.
“However, we are only launching the artisans part of the scheme today; we will inform and engage the leadership of the transport sector, particularly the Ministry of Transport and the general public, before commencing the transport scheme.’’
She said that the implementation of the Artisans’ Scheme had been divided into three different streams.
According to her, the states in the first stream which will run from Oct. 1 to Oct. 15, beginning with the FCT, are Lagos, Kaduna, Kano, Ogun, Borno, Bauchi, Anambra, Abia, Rivers, Plateau and Delta.
“From Oct. 19 to Oct. 31, we will take the next twelve states, from Nov. 9 to Nov. 31, we will take the last 13 states,’’ she said.
In a remark, Alhaji Dikko Radda, Director-General, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN), commended President Muhammadu for his administration’s interventions for MSMEs.
He said that he had not seen any other government that invested more in human development than the current one (NAN)
By: Fabian Apechihin
Nigerians are facing yet another spike in fuel prices as premium motor spirit (petrol) now sells for between ₦905 and ₦945 per litre across several filling stations in Abuja.
Checks on Monday, October 6, 2025, revealed that Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) retail outlets, along with Empire, AA Rano, and Shema filling stations, adjusted their pump prices upwards. Empire Filling Station in Gwarimpa reportedly sold petrol at the highest rate of ₦945 per litre.
Other stations, including MRS, Emedeb, Ranoil, and Eterna, dispensed petrol between ₦885 and ₦910 per litre.
Marketers Blame PENGASSAN Strike for Price Surge
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) attributed the sudden hike to disruptions caused by last week’s strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN).
IPMAN President, Abubakar Maigandi, explained that the price increase was largely due to supply interruptions. He noted that stations receiving supplies from Dangote Refinery were still selling between ₦885 and ₦895 per litre, adding that prices were expected to stabilize soon.
“The feud between Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN may have triggered panic buying and artificial scarcity. I can assure you that prices will drop and return to normal in the coming days,” Maigandi said.
IPMAN spokesperson Chinedu Ukadike also confirmed that the PENGASSAN strike caused temporary shortages in Lagos and Abuja but expressed optimism that availability would improve as supply chains normalize.
Depot Prices Edge Up
Depot prices have reportedly risen slightly, with Dangote Refinery selling petrol at ₦844 per litre, Ranoil and Aiteo at ₦845, and NIPCO at ₦850 in Lagos.
The fuel price increase comes just days after Dangote Refinery and PENGASSAN resolved their dispute over the alleged mass dismissal of Nigerian workers, which led to a two-day strike. Federal Government intervention helped broker peace between both parties.
Dangote Refinery later thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other mediators for their role in ending the strike.
Shettima, PENGASSAN Trade Words
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima, speaking at the 31st Nigerian Economic Summit (NES31) on Monday, criticized PENGASSAN, declaring that “Nigeria is bigger than the union.”
In response, PENGASSAN President Festus Osifo countered, saying the country is also “bigger than Dangote Refinery and the presidency,” emphasizing the union’s commitment to protecting Nigerian workers’ rights.
- Urges Kwarans, foreigners to embrace it Stephen Olufemi Oni, Ilorin
Kwara State Government has continued to showcase the beauty of culture and traditional assets and its uniqueness in the daily lives of the citizens, urging the people to embrace it for development.
The State Commissioner for Communications, Hon. Bolanle Olukoju, had earlier in a broadcast, enjoined the people of the State, at home and in the diaspora, to embrace tourism as a tool for developmental progress to sustain transformational growth in line with the policy thrust of Mallam AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s-led administration.
The Commissioner made the call to mark the 2025 World Tourism day with the theme, ‘Tourism and Sustainable Transformation’, as declared by the United Nation’s World Tourism Organization(UNWTO).
According to Olukoju, tourism is more than travel, it is actually a way of supporting people, culture, and the environment while driving economic growth, urging all and sundry to explore the various tourist sites around them.
“Tourism is not just travel, it is about building a future where every journey contributes to people, culture and planet, it is about hospitality that opens our heart and also helps to preserve our heritage and create opportunities for growth and development”, She said.
The Commissioner, who was delighted that the Ilorin Emirate Durbar was recently ranked among the top ten festivals in Nigeria, celebrated Hajia Faridah Shagaya, who was recognised among Africa’s top tourism personalities, describing the recognitions as sources of pride for the state.
She commended the administration of Governor AbdulRazaq for investing in tourism and hospitality, citing projects such as the Visual Arts Centre, Flower Garden, and Sugar Factory Film Studios, among others, as commendable efforts.
She also announced that this year’s celebration includes a roundtable with stakeholders to advance discussions on the future of tourism in Kwara State.
“Tourism is wearing a new face, from the Sugar Factory Film Studio, the Visual Arts Centre and the improved road network to Owu Waterfalls and many more which are evident of his work and is gradually opening Kwara to the World”, she added.
The Commissioner, who was represented at the event by the Director, Personnel, Finance and Supply, Hajia Salamat Yahaya, assured that tourism will continue to receive priority attention under the present administration and urged all stakeholders to support the ongoing efforts to make Kwara a leading destination for culture, heritage, and hospitality.
In her remarks, the Secretary, kwara State Hospitality and Tourism Development Board, Hajia Ramat Akanni, applauded the present administration for priority attention given to the Board.
Hajia Akanni expressed optimism towards an enviable tourism and hospitality driven state, which she assured, would attract prospective investors and enhance revenue generation for the state.
She sought support and utmost compliance from hoteliers and relevant stakeholders to achieve the desired goals, pointing out that violators will face the full wrath of the law.
Relevant stakeholders and participants at the one-day event later visited Sobi Hills and the Kwara Sugar Film Factory as part of activities marking the celebration.
End
By: Fabian Apechihin
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has introduced a new contactless and cashless payment system, tagged Operation Go Cashless, in partnership with Paystack.
In a statement on Thursday, FAAN announced that the initiative will take effect from September 29, 2025, at Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
“Effective September 29, 2025, all payments at FAAN revenue points, including airport access gates, car parks, and FAAN VIP and protocol lounges, will go cashless. This means we will be phasing out cash collection at these points,” the statement read.
According to FAAN, the new system will provide travellers and airport users with faster, more seamless services through a secure, contactless platform. The agency explained that the shift responds to rising demand for modern, transparent payment methods and aligns Nigeria’s airports with global digital standards.
FAAN added that reducing cash handling will enhance efficiency, strengthen revenue assurance, and improve customer experience. It also noted that the cashless policy will be gradually extended to other airports nationwide.
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