Forms are Free: Adamawa to Disburse N50,000 Grants to 40,000 Small Business Owners

• Adamawa State will empower 40,000 small business owners with ₦50,000 each across all 226 wards, as part of a ₦2 billion grassroots support scheme
• The application process begins on June 3, 2025, with a transparent selection system involving local leaders, traditional rulers, and civil groups
• Only genuine traders with less than ₦50,000 capital and first-time applicants are eligible, and all forms are free of charge

The Adamawa State Government is set to disburse ₦50,000 each to 40,000 small-scale business owners across all 226 political wards in the state, as part of a renewed drive to empower grassroots traders and reduce poverty.

The initiative, approved by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, is the second phase of a ₦2 billion empowerment fund under the state’s Poverty Alleviation and Wealth Creation Agency (PAWECA).

Forms distribution to commence today

According to the Director General of PAWECA, Dr Michael Zira, the distribution of application forms will commence on June 3, 2025, and will be free of charge.

Dr Zira told Legit.ng:

"This second round of funding is a continuation of the government’s commitment to support local businesses and reduce poverty at the grassroots. This is not politics, this is empowerment."

He explained that the scheme targets genuine small-scale traders, such as roadside food vendors, vegetable sellers, POS operators, and market women.

"Our main aim is to reach out to people who actually run businesses... because this empowerment is to support and help their business to grow," he said.

Application process made physical to reach rural communities

To ensure fairness and credibility, the selection and distribution process will involve stakeholders from each community, including traditional rulers, local government chairmen, religious leaders, youth and women groups, and persons with disabilities.

"The local government chairman will be the supervisor of the team... because they stay with them in the same community, no one is an exception," he said.

Only first-time applicants will be eligible, and previous beneficiaries will not be reconsidered.

Each beneficiary will be visited at their place of business to verify legitimacy, and only those with capital below ₦50,000 will qualify. A final list of recipients will be published in the state newspaper.

"The forms are not for sale, they are free. Therefore, no one should pay or collect any money from anyone. Anyone found guilty of such act will face legal action strictly," Dr Zira warned.

He encouraged beneficiaries to use the funds responsibly:

"We will not arrest you because you didn't use the money wisely, but be rest assured that you will only receive it once… no business is too petty to be taken seriously."

Over 50,000 residents apply for 4,000 Adamawa state jobs

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Adamawa State government had launched a major recruitment exercise aimed at reducing the growing rate of unemployment within the state.

A total of 4,000 positions are being offered across multiple departments under the state’s civil service, with applications open to indigenes between the ages of 18 and 50. The recruitment portal officially opened on April 29 and is scheduled to close on May 13, 2025.

Source: Legit.ng