A total of thirty members of the National Youth Service Corps have won cash prizes and business grants totalling N10 million in the 6th edition of the expanded Unity Bank flagship business plan competition known as Corpreneurship Challenge.
The initiative, according to the bank, is targeted at empowering fresh graduates and corp members on one-year compulsory national youth service.
The company said the ninth edition of the Corpreneurship Challenge was held across 10 states.
According to the company, the winners emerged after a business pitch presentation was held across 10 states; namely Rivers, Delta, Sokoto, Edo, Abuja, Akwa-Ibom, Osun, Kano, Bayelsa, and Enugu, with each state producing three winners who took home cash grants of N500,000, N300,000 and N200,000.
The ninth edition had corp members focusing on developing entrepreneurship in renewable energy, fashion, beauty, agro-processing, confectionaries, etc.
Some of the winners at the Rivers State NYSC Orientation Camp in Nonwa Gbam Tai included Muoneke Gift, whose business plan on renewable energy took home the grand prize of N500, 000; followed by Ilesanmi Olamide’s business proposal on beauty services which got the N300, 000-business grant for first runner up. Ekanem Moses Idoreyin’s confectionery business proposal took home the N200, 000 grant, the company said.
The winners emerged after their business plans were assessed by a panel looking out for business ideas that demonstrate originality, marketability, future employability potential of the product, and knowledge of the business.
The company further revealed that its Corpreneurship Challenge has gradually joined the league of some of the most impactful, youth-focused entrepreneurship development initiatives in Nigeria, empowering no fewer than 100 young entrepreneurs over the past three years.
Speaking during the finale at Rivers State NYSC Orientation Camp recently, the Group Head, Retail, E-Business, and SME Banking, Unity Bank Plc, Olufunwa Akinmade, said the Bank was delighted with the impressive records the Corpreneurship Challenge has pulled so far.
“When we launched the initiative in 2019, we set out to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs that will disrupt the job market by creating much-needed jobs across all sectors. Today, we have come a long way and the Corpreneurship Challenge has lived up to its billing,” he stated.
Represented by Regional Manager, Port Harcourt Region, Unity Bank Plc, Eto Ukpe, Akinmade reiterated the bank’s commitment to sustaining the initiative and mainstreaming the Corpreneurship Challenge as a reliable and impactful entrepreneurship and business empowerment and mentorship programme in the country.
