Unity Bank is currently in 10 states of the federation where
three winners each emerged from the Batch B Orientation course in the Corpreneuship competition held last week.
The states that the winners emerged included Lagos, Ogun,
Benin, Abuja, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Sokoto, Enugu, Osun and Kwara.
As in the previous editions, the cash prizes included a
N200, 000 business grant for third place winners; N300, 000 business grant for
the second place and a star prize of N500, 000 for the winners.
Some of the winners included Yahaya Muhammad, Alade Ayinde
and Omolola Kehinde in Kano NYSC camp, while Chiamaka Nweke, Nduke Oduobuk and
Victoria Adesope emerged as the winners in the Enugu State camp.
In Lagos, Aliu Haira Abimbola, Uzoechi Ihuoma Augustus and
Adesanolu Lukmon Abiodun emerged winners to claim the cash prizes.
One of the winners in Abuja, Ebingha Ogbe John appreciated
Unity Bank for the opportunity, which she said, has helped her to showcase her
business to the world. “I thank Unity Bank for making my project, Mama’s Ally
Crashfish to come alive in this Abuja,” She said.
The initiative continues to attract increasing interests
among the corps members, as over 2000 applications were received but only 100
were shortlisted for the pitching sessions from where the thirty winners
emerged.
The contestants’ business plans which ranged from software
solutions, fashion, fish production, poultry farming, bee farming, retail
chains, piggery to beverages were assessed on originality, marketability,
future employability potential of the product and knowledge of the business.
Recall that Unity Bank started the Entrepreneurial
Development Initiative in 2019, to specifically target corps members, as part
of efforts to contribute to job creation in Nigeria. It continues to gain
traction, growing bigger and better in grooming corps members having
successfully ran several editions of the scheme in partnership with the NYSC
Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED.
The Bank has invested overN80 million in the initiative,
which has now produced 58 winners since it was launched.
Speaking during the finale in FCT NYSC camp, the Divisional
Head, Retail, SME Banking and E-Business Directorate, Unity Bank Plc, Mr.
Olufunwa Akinmade, said the competition has proved to be a great tool for
empowering fresh graduates in the country.
“The corpreneurship challenge is a creative entrepreneurial
development initiative by Unity Bank in conjunction with the National Youth
Service Corps, NYSC. It is aimed at driving job creation through
entrepreneurship.
“With rising youth unemployment in the country, it is just
common sense to consider the entrepreneurship alternative”.
“As the corps members join the labour market after their
youth service, not every one of them will get the opportunity for a paid
employment. But with what Unity Bank is doing, many of them will get the
support they need to start a small business and even become employers of
labour”.
“We encourage the corps members to take seriously the
opportunity that the Unity Bank Corpreneurship has provided. And to those that
have emerged the winners today, we ask them to utilise their grants
judiciously. Unity Bank remains committed to empowering the youth through
initiatives such as this, as we know that the bedrock of the economy is
entrepreneurship.”
The Zonal Head, North West, Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Mustapha
Idris Baba, implored the winners to judiciously utilise the funds to support
the business venture that got them the grant.
This edition follows the expanded Corpreneurship Challenge
which started in the 5th edition in June this year. The programme looks set to
expand nationwide, empowering corps members to explore entrepreneurship
alternatives in the face of rising youth unemployment in the country.