Abuja: An African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential aspirant, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, on Wednesday, met young Nigerian entrepreneurs, promising to rebuild the economy by supporting small businesses and expanding opportunities. Speaking at the consultative meeting in Abuja, Hayatu-Deen emphasized that SMEs remained Nigeria’s economic backbone, creating most jobs and sustaining millions of households.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Hayatu-Deen expressed regret that struggling businesses had continued to weaken national stability. The presidential aspirant noted that discussions revealed recurring concerns over rising operational costs, shrinking profit margins, and deep uncertainty threatening business sustainability. Entrepreneurs have been lamenting escalating expenses in energy, transportation, and raw materials, which have outpaced business growth and profitability.
Drawing from years of supporting enterprise growth, Hayatu-Deen emphasized his understanding of both the vast potential of SMEs and the structural obstacles limiting progress. He asserted that businesses flourish under supportive policies but struggle severely when economic conditions remain hostile and unpredictable. His vision focuses on building a productive economy that rewards enterprise, restores investor confidence, strengthens security, and eases pressures on businesses.
Hayatu-Deen identified insecurity as a major barrier to recovery, noting that farmers, traders, manufacturers, transporters, and investors could not thrive under fear and uncertainty. He pledged targeted reforms in energy, infrastructure, taxation, finance access, and regulation to significantly reduce business costs and unlock growth. The presidential aspirant emphasized that Nigerian businesses should innovate, hire, and expand rather than merely struggling for survival amid rising costs and insecurity.