In a significant effort to promote grassroots economic development, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, Ph.D., GCON, provided 1,000 constituents in the Zaria Federal Constituency with business start-up kits and micro-enterprise capital.
The empowerment package includes Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal machines, operational tables, chairs, and umbrellas, along with ₦100,000 in direct seed capital for each recipient. Speaker Abbas characterized the enterprise support program as a practical application of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Leadership is not measured by noise. It is measured by the lives it lifts. Today, 1,000 families will go home with tools, with capital, and with dignity. That is the politics I believe in,” Speaker Abbas stated during the distribution ceremony.
Addressing the choice of micro-enterprise equipment, the Speaker emphasized the critical role of small businesses in sustaining Nigeria’s national output and generating employment.
“Some may ask: why POS machines? Why tables, chairs, and umbrellas? Small businesses generate nearly half of national wealth and provide the majority of jobs. Consider the POS agent at Kwarbai market serving individuals overlooked by major banks. What is provided today is not charity; it is capital, representing a stake in the collective economy.”
He urged the beneficiaries to reinvest their funds, cautioning that “a seed eaten today is a harvest lost tomorrow.” He projected that micro-investments in Zaria could expand into larger enterprises, potentially generating up to 10,000 secondary livelihoods.
The new empowerment scheme adds to a continuous stream of constituency initiatives executed under Abbas’s tenure. The Speaker outlined several previous and ongoing interventions:
- Direct Economic Support: 2,400 constituents have previously received direct business grants, as well as distributions of tractors, fertilizers, motorcycles, and tricycles for youth and local farmers.
- Education and Infrastructure: Over 110 primary schools and 40 secondary schools have been renovated. Full coverage of WAEC, NECO, and JAMB fees has been provided for thousands of students, and a ₦5 billion scholarship scheme has benefited approximately 30,000 recipients.
- Institutional Investments: An ₦80 billion ‘Education City’ project has attracted four new tertiary institutions to Zaria. Additional investments include a 100-bed specialist hospital, new Primary Health Centres, a Women’s Development Centre, and a College of Agriculture.
Speaker Abbas emphasized that local constituency developments reflect broader macroeconomic reforms at both state and federal levels. He commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for economic reforms, including the new national minimum wage, student loan schemes, worker credit facilities, and business-oriented tax policy changes. He also praised Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, for advancing security and development throughout the state.
Speaker Abbas appealed to constituents to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) in upcoming elections to ensure continuity in federal interventions. He cited regional projects such as the North West Development Commission (NWDC), the Ajaokuta–Kaduna–Kano (AKK) gas pipeline, and major highway rehabilitations as direct outcomes of sustained legislative representation.
In closing, the Speaker assured his constituency of continuous support: “When the whole ladder stands together, projects move faster from Abuja to Zaria. In 2027, judge us by the evidence. Then vote the evidence.”
