FG launches Renewed Hope Enterprise Bridge Initiative to link with businesses

The Federal Government on Thursday launched the Renewed Hope Enterprise Bridge Initiative (RHEBI), a new platform designed to establish a structured and sustained channel of engagement between policymakers and business owners across Nigeria.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, unveiled the initiative alongside its official website at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. The programme is expected to bridge the long-standing gap between government decision-makers and entrepreneurs by ensuring that policies are shaped by real business experiences.

Speaking at the launch, the President acknowledged the disconnect that has historically existed between those who formulate policies and those who operate businesses under such policies.

“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,” he said.

He added that effective policymaking must be grounded in practical realities, noting that entrepreneurs’ lived experiences remain essential in designing workable economic policies.

“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,” Tinubu stated.

The President stressed that meaningful engagement with business owners is critical to diagnosing economic challenges accurately, insisting that no government can design effective interventions from a distance.

“You cannot treat what you have not properly diagnosed. And you cannot diagnose without listening,” he said.

Tinubu also commended Nigerian entrepreneurs for sustaining economic activities despite persistent structural and macroeconomic challenges, including inflationary pressures and infrastructure deficits. He noted that their resilience continues to drive job creation and innovation across sectors.

According to him, the RHEBI is not intended as a one-off engagement but as a continuous interface between the government and the private sector.

“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, the Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, highlighted investment opportunities within Nigeria’s creative and digital sectors. She described both sectors as high-growth areas capable of attracting foreign investment and delivering 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,” she said.

Musawa further disclosed that the administration is strengthening infrastructure investment and refining policy frameworks to boost investor confidence and expand opportunities.

In her remarks, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Entrepreneurship Development, Chalya Shagaya, said the initiative reflects the administration’s recognition of entrepreneurs as key drivers of national economic growth.

She emphasised that achieving Nigeria’s ambition of building a trillion-dollar economy would require placing entrepreneurs at the centre of policy conversations.

“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 also pointed to ongoing reforms aimed at easing regulatory compliance and improving access to finance through institutions such as the Bank of Industry.

Describing the theme of the event, “Hustle Meets Policy,” as symbolic, she said it reflects the everyday realities faced by entrepreneurs operating in uncertain conditions.

“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 noted.

She further acknowledged the support of Vice President Kashim Shettima and other senior officials in advancing the initiative.