Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Babachir Lawal, has revealed that the late former President Muhammadu Buhari found it difficult to manage the Yorubas.

Lawal disclosed that Buhari wanted to use him to manage the Yorubas after noticing his relationship with President Bola Tinubu and a founding chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bisi Akande.

In an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, on Monday night, the former SGF said despite trying to use him, Buhari threw him under the bus but said they later reconciled.

According to Lawal: “Buhari never let me go, he threw me under the bus but we later became okay. He would call me and we will gist, he will ask me what I think about this and that.

“There was still clearly some sort of human relationship. Somehow there is an unwritten relationship between us and Buhari.

“It seems like it’s because of my relationship with Bola and Bisi Akande that he could use me to manage the Yorubas whom he found difficult to manage and of course I tried my best.”

Buhari appointed Lawal as SGF on August 27, 2015 and he served till October 30, 2017.

Lawal was suspended on April 19, 2017, following a Senate investigation into a contract scandal termed “grass cutting” involving funds intended for the humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s Northeast.

Following the investigation, Buhari officially terminated his appointment on October 30, 2017, and replaced him with Boss Mustapha.

The Senate ad-hoc committee accused Lawal of abusing his office and awarding lucrative contracts through the Presidential Initiative on the North East, PINE, which he led to a company he had a direct interest in, called Global Vision Limited.

The controversial contract included over N500 million meant for clearing invasive grass and weeds along water channels in Yobe State to prevent flooding in vulnerable areas and refugee camps, funds which were allegedly diverted.

President Bola Tinubu has said 21 shared facilities established across 19 states and the Federal Capital Territory are supporting businesses and an estimated 650,000 jobs.

The facilities, established under the Federal Government’s National MSME Clinics initiative, provide entrepreneurs with access to equipment, electricity and production infrastructure without requiring them to bear the full cost of setting up such facilities themselves.

President Tinubu disclosed this in a statement on Monday while highlighting the government’s efforts to address infrastructure and equipment challenges facing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

According to the President, many small businesses have the skills and ideas to expand but struggle to access the equipment and infrastructure needed to increase production.

He said the shared MSME hubs were designed to reduce some of those barriers by allowing entrepreneurs to use modern production facilities without making large upfront investments.

He cited tailors and food processors as examples of businesses that could benefit from the model.

“A tailor should not need millions of naira to buy industrial machinery before she can grow her business. A food processor should not have to build a factory before producing at scale,” he said.

The President said access to shared facilities could allow businesses to increase production while reducing their operating costs.

“When small businesses can produce more, at lower cost, they become more competitive. They grow. They employ more people. They create income and opportunity for Nigerian families.”

MSME support

The initiative comes as the Federal Government expands programmes aimed at improving access to finance, equipment, skills and markets for small businesses.

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The Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), which implements several government MSME support programmes, has previously identified access to finance, infrastructure and markets among the challenges confronting small businesses.

The government has also introduced other interventions aimed at improving access to credit. These include the National Credit Guarantee Company (NCGC), which provides guarantees to encourage financial institutions to lend to businesses and other eligible borrowers.

President Tinubu noted that the government’s approach was focused on removing barriers that prevent entrepreneurs from turning their skills and ideas into sustainable businesses.

“Our job is to remove those barriers,” he said.

He added that strengthening small businesses would help create employment, increase household incomes and expand economic activity.

“Giving Nigerian enterprise the tools to succeed is how we build prosperity from the ground up,” President Tinubu said.