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Some young entrepreneurs at the National Youth Service Corps Orientation Camp in Yikpata, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, North Central Nigeria, have received cash grants to grow their businesses.
The grant is the last stage of the Wema Bank Accelerator Programme, which is aimed at encouraging young entrepreneurs, to grapple with expansion challenges they face in their business.
The Wema Bank management was represented by the Regional Cluster Retail Manager, Mr Adelakun Desmond, who commended the Corps members’ zeal and enthusiasm in submitting their business proposals for the competition.
Earlier, it was announced to the 2023 Batch ‘C’, stream 2 Corps members, who are currently undergoing an orientation course at the NYSC camp in Kwara, to submit business proposals, as an integral part of the NYSC Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship programme (SAED)
After the initial screening of the hundreds of business proposals received, the day of the event was set aside by the sponsor to finally screen the 10 finalists.
Each of the 10 Corps members were given opportunity to verbally sell their proposals to a team of Bank panelists, and their colleagues.
At the end of the ceremony, four of the Corps members emerged as winners.
A star prize of #800,000 (Eight hundred thousand naira only) was given to Areo Amos Erioluwa, KW/23C/1455.
He is a graduate of Animal Production, from Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
The first runners-up cash prize of #700,000(seven hundred thousand naira only) goes to Bright Daniel Uto KW/23C/ 2793. Ahmed Awelenje KW/23C/3090 emerged as the second runner-up, with a cash prize of #600,000(six hundred thousand naira only).
A consolation cash prize of #200,000( two hundred thousand naira only) went to Abdulazees Qazeem Idiaka KW/23C/3462, who emerged 4th, in a keenly contested business proposal competition for the young entrepreneurs, among the Corps members.
While presenting the star prize to the winner, alongside with the Wema Manager, the State Coordinator , NYSC Kwara State, Mr Onifade Olaoluwa Joshua, commended the Corps members, who participated in the competition.
He congratulated the winners and further encouraged the Corps members to take full advantage of the various opportunities, provided by the government, through the NYSC programme, to cut a niche for themselves in the future.
While expressing his delight to some of his colleagues, shortly after the cash prize presentation, the star prize winner, Aero Amos Erioluwa, thanked the management of Wema Bank Plc, for sponsoring the Programme.
He pledged to fully utilize the cash in the expansion of his budding business.
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