Gov Lawal supports local businesses in Zamfara with over N1bn

Governor Lawal Flags Off N1.1bn SABER Grant Distribution in Zamfara

September 12, 2025 

Governor Dauda Lawal has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to empowering local entrepreneurs and transforming Zamfara State’s economy. He gave this assurance on Thursday while inaugurating the distribution of grants under the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms (SABER/ SERBS) Programme at the JB Yakubu Secretariat, Gusau.

According to a statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, the SABER Programme marks a major milestone in Zamfara’s economic renewal. The five-year, World Bank–supported initiative is performance-based and multi-sectoral, designed to remove barriers to growth, stimulate private enterprise, and create sustainable jobs across the state.

Under the first phase of disbursement:

• 2,000 nano and micro-business owners will each receive ₦150,000.
• 1,000 small and medium-scale entrepreneurs will each access ₦500,000.
• 60 medium and large-scale businesses will benefit from grants of ₦5 million each.

Governor Lawal emphasized that SABER is a carefully planned intervention, not just a routine programme. He disclosed that the total disbursement component amounts to about ₦1.1 billion, with overall funding support for the initiative ranging between $20 million and $52 million from 2022 to 2026.

“We are here today to officially launch this programme by commencing the disbursement of funds to various categories of entrepreneurs across Zamfara State,” the governor stated. “Beneficiaries were selected after thorough consultations with key government institutions and private sector representatives, including the Chamber of Commerce.”

The programme, coordinated by the Ministry of Budget and Planning, will be implemented by multiple MDAs such as the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, ZAGIS, Finance, Agriculture, Justice, Internal Revenue Service, Housing Corporation, and ZITDA, in collaboration with the Ease of Doing Business Committee.

Speaking at the event, the Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Charles Odii, applauded Governor Lawal’s efforts to strengthen the state’s business sector.

“I am impressed that His Excellency is not paying lip service to SME development. Hearing that 2,000 small businesses will each get ₦150,000 means that every one of them could potentially employ at least one person. This is a practical way to boost the local economy,” Odii said.