President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday launched the Renewed Hope Enterprise Bridge Initiative, a new platform aimed at creating a structured and sustained channel of engagement between the Federal Government and entrepreneurs across Nigeria.
The initiative, unveiled alongside its official website at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, is designed to bridge the long-standing gap between policy makers and business owners by ensuring that government decisions are shaped by the lived realities of entrepreneurs.
Speaking at the launch, President Tinubu, represented by his Chief of Staff, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, said the administration recognises the disconnect that has often existed between those who formulate policies and those who must operate within their consequences daily.
“One side works with frameworks and projections, the other works with immediacy and risk. Bringing both into the same room is not symbolic; it is necessary.
“If policy is to be useful, it must be informed by lived experience. And if enterprise is to thrive, it must be supported by a system that understands it”, the President said.
Tinubu stressed that no government can design effective responses from a distance, insisting that listening to entrepreneurs remains critical to understanding the real challenges businesses face.
“You cannot treat what you have not properly diagnosed. And you cannot diagnose without listening,” he said.
He commended Nigerian entrepreneurs for sustaining economic activity despite difficult operating conditions, acknowledging their resilience in building businesses, creating jobs and adapting to economic pressures.
The President assured participants that his administration remains committed to continuous engagement and policy adjustments where necessary.
“The establishment of the Renewed Hope Enterprise Bridge Initiative is intended to ensure that this is not a one-off conversation, but a continuing line of engagement between government and entrepreneurs,” he added.
Earlier, Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Barr. Hannatu Musa Musawa, highlighted the vast investment opportunities in Nigeria’s creative and digital sectors.
According to her, both industries possess exceptional potential to attract foreign investment, stimulate entrepreneurship and deliver strong returns.
“Creative and digital economy are the two sectors with the greatest ability to provide the kind of returns entrepreneurs are seeking because they can yield huge gains more than many other sectors,” Musawa said.
She added that the Tinubu administration has been working to strengthen infrastructure investment and improve policy frameworks to boost investor confidence.
In her opening remarks, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Entrepreneurship Development, Chalya Shagaya, said the initiative reflects President Tinubu’s consistent belief in entrepreneurs as central drivers of national growth.
She noted that building a trillion-dollar economy would require placing entrepreneurs at the heart of national economic planning.
“If we are to achieve our ambition of building a trillion-dollar economy, then entrepreneurs must be at the centre of the conversation consistently, deliberately and meaningfully,” she said.
Shagaya pointed to ongoing reforms aimed at easing regulatory compliance and expanding access to finance through institutions such as the Bank of Industry.
Describing the event’s theme, “Hustle Meets Policy,” as deeply symbolic, she said it captures the daily realities of entrepreneurs who confront uncertainty, risks and operational pressures.
“For too long, that lived reality has not always been adequately reflected in how policy is conceived or implemented. That is why today is important,” she said.
The presidential aide also acknowledged the support of Vice President Kashim Shettima, Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, and Deputy Chief of Staff Senator Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia for advancing the initiative.