The Federal Government has announced plans to reward innovative and resilient entrepreneurs who have excelled in their endeavours with prizes worth over N220m.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, Temitola Adekunle-Johnson, revealed this during a press briefing on Monday in Abuja to announce the eighth edition of the National MSMEs Award.

He said the beneficiaries will be rewarded with a house, shops, cars, and cash prizes as part of events to mark the 2025 MSMEs Week.

The MSMEs award is designed to commemorate the 2024 United Nations World MSMES Day as part of efforts to recognise and support outstanding small businesses in the country.

Adekunle-Johnson also revealed that the portal for registration and entries will be opened for all Nigerian businesses to register from Friday. According to him, President Bola Tinubu’s government is committed to putting smiles on the faces of Nigerians.

He added that businesses of persons with disabilities will be recognised for their contribution to Nigeria’s economy.

The special assistant said, “This year, we are going to have SMEs win stores, shops, cars, and money. This year is the first year where you have the overall winner going on with a house, a shop, a car, and a cash prize. But first, this briefing is to announce that the portal for entries will be opened from Friday, March 7, 2025, to April 7, 2025.

“As part of our mandate to continuously improve, we have considered businesses of people living with disabilities. So, the PWDs category will be included. They have opportunities to compete for various prizes.

“The overall MSME of the year is going home with a total value of N220m. That is the truth because we know the value of the car, we know the value of the shop, and we know the value of the house. So we are hoping that we change the life of an individual with that total sum.

He said the government is concerned about the plights of MSMEs and is doing everything to alleviate them and boost their output.