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By Lizzy Chirkpi
The Minister of State for Defence, Dr Bello Mohammed Matawalle, has empowered 3,700 Nigerians across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with a nationwide Point-of-Sale (POS) Enterprise Empowerment Programme worth over N704m
The initiative, being implemented under the Tinubu Again Movement, is designed to support beneficiaries with POS business packages and a ₦200,000 enterprise grant each, providing them with equipment and working capital to start or strengthen their businesses.
The programme targets 100 beneficiaries in each of the 36 states, as well as another 100 in the FCT, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 3,700.
With the combination of the ₦200,000 grants, POS machines and other business support packages, the initiative represents an estimated investment of more than ₦740 million in enterprise development and human capital across the country.
Speaking on the initiative, Matawalle said the programme was designed to translate political mobilisation into tangible economic opportunities for ordinary Nigerians.
According to him, empowerment should not end with political meetings, rallies and campaign promises, but should create opportunities that enable people to earn a living and support their families.
“We believe that political mobilisation must go beyond posters, slogans and rallies. It must also translate into opportunities that improve the lives of our people,” Matawalle said.
He explained that the POS empowerment programme was aimed at giving beneficiaries the basic tools and capital required to establish sustainable small businesses within their communities.
“When you give a young person the means to earn an income, you are not only empowering that individual; you are strengthening a family and contributing to the economic wellbeing of the community,” he said.
Each beneficiary is expected to receive a POS machine and a business support package alongside the ₦200,000 enterprise grant.
The organisers said the intervention was structured to ensure that beneficiaries could immediately deploy the support for daily commercial activities rather than waiting for lengthy processes to access business opportunities.
The programme also reflects the Tinubu Again Movement’s broader strategy of taking its mobilisation efforts to the grassroots through initiatives with direct socioeconomic impact.
Matawalle said the objective was to ensure that people at the community level could feel the impact of empowerment initiatives while participating in the political process.
“Our people deserve more than words. They deserve opportunities. This is about putting something in their hands that can help them build a livelihood,” he added.
The nationwide programme covers all 36 states and the FCT, making it one of the movement’s broadest grassroots enterprise interventions.
With 3,700 beneficiaries and an investment of more than ₦740 million, the initiative is expected to provide thousands of Nigerians with a means of generating independent daily income while expanding access to basic financial and commercial services in their communities.