Almajiri-turned-cobbler trains ten apprentices while denied state loans

TL;DR: Rabiu Shuaibu employs at least ten apprentices while failing to secure interest-free loans between N200,000 and N500,000 during 2020 to 2022.

In Minna, Niger State, cobbler Rabiu Shuaibu runs a workshop producing sandals and bags while training at least ten apprentices. The state government provided interest-free loans totaling N100 million to at least 1,000 women in a single year.

Between 2020 and 2022, Shuaibu applied for interest-free loans ranging from N200,000 to N500,000 but did not succeed. He plans to expand production and needs sewing machines, filing machines, and a generator to increase output and product quality.

What to watch next is how the state addresses loan accessibility for small-scale artisans outside its existing women-focused program.