Vice President Kashim Shettima on Thursday inaugurated Enugu garment and fashion hub, praising Governor Peter Mbah’s administration for the strides in development of Enugu State.
Shettima, also unveiled the 5th Expanded National Micro, Small, and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSME) Clinic, which are collaborative efforts of the Federal Government and Enugu to boost MSMEs in the state.
The Vice President, who used the opportunity to tour some of the infrastructural projects by Governor Mbah’s Administration, such as the Command and Control security infrastructure and the International Conference Centre, said the administration is doing well.
He stressed that time for politics was over and stressed Federal Government’s readiness to work with visionary leaders across party lines to move the country forward.
“Let us put politics aside. We are now in the phase of development. Politics is over. We have to collect into a single force and face the challenges of under development in our Nation. Governor Peter Mbah means well for the people of Enugu State and he is humble.
“I am specifically enamored of his security project. I am happy for his investment in supplying water to Enugu. Most importantly, education is the greatest changer. Within a generation, the son of a peasant can become a celebrated icon. The investment of Peter Mbah in Smart School will yield a bountiful harvest in the coming years.
“He is one of the few Chief Executive Officers, who are versatile in the potentiality of the Information Technology industry. I want to join all of us here in thanking Governor Peter Mbah for taking charge of the opportunities that abound and incidentally the Minister for Technology is here and he is a son of Enugu. I want you to join forces to see that Enugu occupies its rightful place.
“Enugu is an equivalent of Kaduna and Ibadan. But till the emergence of Governor Peter Mbah, Enugu was sleeping, a town that doesn’t even have a water supply.
“Your Excellency, we want to commend you. We want to thank you, we want to identify with you. We have to sustain that brotherhood and relationship for the good of our people, both in development, infrastructure, we can change the narrative from negativity to positivity,” he said.
The Vice President emphasised that MSMEs were critical to economic growth, noting that the garment and fashion hub would serve as “a stepping stone to the economic highways, providing an exchange in support of manufacturing in Enugu State, boosting production capacity and in the enabling economy of scale.”
Shettima said the hub was capable of creating about 48,000 jobs.
He also announced a N150,000 outright grant to all the MSMEs that distinguish themselves during the MSME clinics.
Meanwhile, Governor, in his address, restated his administration’s commitment to boosting MSME, describing them as lifeblood economic growth and thanked the Federal Government for its continued support to Enugu in regards.
Mbah, who was a recipient of the 2024 MSMEs Awards by the Office of the Vice President, observed that almost 90 percent of businesses in the country were small scale.
“So, MSMEs are clearly the backbone and lifeblood of our economy. But as important as MSMEs may be, their success is no chance occurrence. They thrive only through careful policies that enhance the ease-of-doing-business climate, comprising key enablers like the sustained provision of infrastructure, security, efficient legal and regulatory framework, among others,” he stated.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, commended the collaborative efforts of the FG and Enugu State to grow MSMEs noted that what he saw at the Enugu State Garment and Fashion Hub, was a clear indication that the youths of Nigeria had so much to offer if provided with the right opportunity and environment.
