KEY POINTS
- Pondi disbursed N800 million in grants to 80 Nigerian entrepreneurs Monday.
- Individual grants doubled from N5 million to N10 million at the event.
- The program drew beneficiaries from all 36 states, selecting them from 26,000 applications.
What started as a N250 million commitment ended as an N800 million payout. Kestin Pondi, managing director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, walked into the MBB Event Center along Refinery Road on Monday and, before the ceremony was over, had helped redirect nearly $570,000 into the hands of 80 small business owners across Nigeria.
The Kestin Pondi grants programme, now in its second edition, began with 50 selected entrepreneurs each in line for N5 million. Pondi doubled that figure to N10 million per recipient at the event, bringing his initial outlay to N500 million. Three others then stepped up. Tantita General Manager of Operations Chief Godfrey Tare Pondi contributed N100 million for 10 additional businesses.
Delta State Commissioner for Power and Energy Michael Ifeanyi Anoka matched that figure, as did DESOPADEC Managing Director Chief Festus Ochonogor. By the time the final tally came in, 80 entrepreneurs had been funded and the total had reached N800 million.
From 26,000 Applications to 80 Beneficiaries
The selection process was designed to reach across state lines. Applicants came from all 36 states of Nigeria, with more than 26,000 submissions narrowed to 100 finalists before an independent panel chose the 50 primary recipients. Businesses selected include Abizen Foods, BlueHive Tech, Vanguard Farms, Pillars Bakery, Jay Sea Food, Urban Threads Collective and Shola Pepper Farm, among others.
Furthermore, Pondi, a civil engineer and son of the Gbaramatu Kingdom in Delta State, said the difficult business climate shaped the programme’s design. “We decided to further reach out to Nigerians across the country through a thorough screening exercise to pick those who really need this assistance to grow their businesses,” he said. He added that beneficiaries from the 2025 maiden edition had already expanded their operations and were employing others.
Tantita’s Larger Role in Nigeria’s Oil Sector
The Kestin Pondi grants event came against the backdrop of Tantita’s growing profile in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector. The company holds a pipeline surveillance contract with NNPCL and has helped drive crude production recovery from roughly 1 million barrels per day at its lowest to levels approaching 2 million barrels per day in recent years. A Federal High Court last year dismissed a legal challenge to the original contract award, a ruling supporters called a vindication of the firm’s record.
According to Billionaires Africa, Ochonogor finally told guests the gesture reflected what government alone cannot do. “Initiatives like this complement the efforts of government and directly empower our people,” he said. The event carried the theme: “Your Skill, Your Business, Our Support.”
