Vice President Kashim Shettima, during his recent visit to Jigawa State on July 23, announced that the Federal Government has facilitated the establishment of more than 300,000 businesses and has generated over one million jobs in the past year.
He emphasized that these efforts, targeting youth and women through various SME interventions, are part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewal Hope Agenda. This agenda aims to alleviate poverty and promote economic growth by supporting medium and small-scale enterprises, which constitute over 65% of investments and employ 83% of Nigeria’s labor force.
Despite the Vice President’s assertions of significant economic progress, the announcement was met with skepticism and diverse reactions from Nigerians. Many expressed doubts regarding the accuracy and transparency of the reported figures, reflecting widespread distrust in government announcements.
On social media, comments ranged from questioning the validity of the statistics to outright disbelief. Some users ridiculed the announcement, suggesting that the numbers might have been inflated or misrepresented.
Critics highlighted the economic hardships faced by ordinary Nigerians, including job losses and business closures, which seemed contradictory to the optimistic picture painted by Shettima.
While a few responses acknowledged the government’s efforts to stimulate the economy and create jobs, the prevailing sentiment underscored a lack of confidence in the administration’s claims.
