News

SMEDAN Trains 22 Tailors, Gives 66 Sewing Machines As Starter Packs

Published

4 years ago

September 23, 2022

The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), on Friday, concluded a two day professional training for 22 tailors in Bauchi state.

Speaking during the closing ceremony of the training and distribution of starter packs to the beneficiaries, the Director General, SMEDAN, Mr Olawale Fasanya, said that the programme was put up by SMEDAN to improve the performances of tailors in the state.

He said that the aim of the programme was for people to see a well packaged and designed clothes being sown by these tailors.

Fasanya, who explained that the training was not meant for beginners in the tailoring industry, said it was meant for established tailors, adding that the idea was to also help them get a more finished product that could be exported abroad.

Represents by Mr Salau Mikhail, Deputy Director, SMEDAN, headquarters, the D-G said Nigeria has a lot of talented tailors but many are faced with challenges of finished work, hence the training and empowerment by SMEDAN.

He said that each of the beneficiaries would be given three different types of sewing machines so as to enable them get a more finished work that could make them compete globally.

“With some of these empowerment we are going to give them which are finishing machines, it will help them get to market both locally and internationally,” said Fasanya.

The D-G also expressed optimism that the federal government would cover more participants in the empowerment programme in order to showcase their talents to the international world.

He called on the beneficiaries to take very good care of the machines given to them and urged them to use the starter packs effectively and for the purpose they were meant for.

“They have been taught how to handle the machines as well as how to maintain them and they are expected to employ more people with the starter packs given to them,” he said.

Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Malam Abdullahi Meshago, the Organising Secretary, Bauchi State Tailors Association, said that they have gained an additional knowledge during the two-day training exercise.

“We were trained on how to improve our services and how to get more profit in our business.

“We really appreciate the federal government through SMEDAN because this is a life changing empowerment for all of us who were lucky to have been selected,” he said.

Meshago also assured that every participant of the training was ready to show SMEDAN, their customers or even the whole world, their improved services and good finishing of their works which could be packaged for export.

He also promised that the monitoring committee of the association would ensure that none of the beneficiaries put any of the machines in the market for sale.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Nigerian Students To Picket MTN, MultiChoice, Other Businesses

Published

3 minutes ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

The leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS South-West Zone D, has announced plans to picket South African companies in Nigeria following the ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.

DAILY POST reports that some Nigerians were recently killed in South Africa over the violent attacks.

A statement issued to newsmen by Comrade Adeyemo Josiah Kayode, Coordinator, NANS South-West, Zone D, said that the association is mobilizing to take decisive and lawful action by organizing peaceful picketing and mass advocacy against South African business interests operating in Nigeria.

“We categorically state that the continued targeting of Nigerians under any guise is unacceptable and must come to an immediate end.

“This will include major corporations such as MTN Group and MultiChoice Group. It is morally indefensible for businesses to thrive in an environment where the lives of Nigerians are protected, while Nigerians are subjected to fear and violence elsewhere.

“This contradiction will no longer be tolerated,” the statement said.

News

N5m, N10m Zero-interest Loans: SheVentures Opens Applications For Women Entrepreneurs

Published

2 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

First City Monument Bank (FCMB) has opened a new round of applications for its SheVentures proposition, offering zero-interest loans of up to ₦10 million to women entrepreneurs to ease access to working capital and support business growth.

The facility provides loans ranging from ₦500,000 to ₦5 million under a general category, and ₦5 million to ₦10 million for sector-specific businesses, with funding capped at up to 50% of an applicant’s average monthly turnover.

At the centre of the offering is a 0% interest rate, with all charges embedded in a transparent structure.

Repayment is structured over four or six months, allowing businesses to match obligations with their cash flow cycles.

Yemisi Edun, Managing Director and Chief Executive of First City Monument Bank (FCMB), said the initiative reflects a deliberate approach to inclusive growth.

“Inclusive growth requires access to capital and the right conditions for businesses to deploy that capital effectively.

“Women-led enterprises are critical to economic activity, yet they face structural barriers.

This intervention aims to help close that gap by providing financing that supports job creation, business expansion, and long-term sustainability for women entrepreneurs.”

“Access to affordable finance remains a major constraint for women entrepreneurs,” said Nnenna Jacob-Ogogo, Group Head, SheVentures and Impact Segments at First City Monument Bank (FCMB).

“By removing the cost barrier and offering quick, flexible funding, this zero-interest loan is designed to safeguard existing jobs, enable businesses to invest in growth initiatives, and foster resilience in challenging economic conditions.”

Women-owned businesses account for a significant share of Nigeria’s small and medium-sized enterprises but continue to face high borrowing costs and limited access to credit.

Through these efforts, SheVentures tackles persistent financing gaps facing women-led businesses, combining targeted funding with broader support to empower women entrepreneurs, encourage business innovation, and enhance their ability to compete on a national scale.

Applications for the zero-interest loan are now open.Apply now.

News

Xenophobic Attacks: Oshiomhole Tells FG To Retaliate Against South African Companies In Nigeria

Published

19 hours ago

May 5, 2026

Editor

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has called on the Federal Government to retaliate against South African businesses operating in Nigeria following the recent attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.

Speaking during plenary on Tuesday, Oshiomhole said the Federal Government should consider revoking the working license of South African owned companies such as MTN and DSTV.

He argued that Nigeria must respond firmly to what he described as persistent hostility against its citizens.

“I am not going to shed tears. If you hit me, I hit you. I think it is appropriate in diplomacy. It is an economic struggle,” Oshiomhole said.

He argued that while some South Africans accuse Nigerians of taking their jobs, Nigerians should return home and take over employment opportunities created by major South African companies operating in the country, including MTN and DSTV.

“When we hit back, the President of South Africa will not only talk but will also go on his knees to recognise that Nigeria cannot be intimidated.

“We will not condone any life being lost. If a crime has been committed under the South African law they have the right to bring any such person to justice, but to kill our people as if we are helpless, we will not allow that,” Oshiomhole added.

DAILY POST reports that several Nigerians in South Africa have reportedly been attacked, and their businesses destroyed, in ongoing xenophobic attacks in the country.