By Chioma Obinagwam
Retail lender, Unity Bank Plc, has given N10 million business grant to 30 members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who took part in the 10th edition of the Bank’s flagship Entrepreneurship Development Initiative, known as Corpreneurship Challenge.
Confiance News gathered from a recent statement issued by Unity Bank.
The winners, including upcoming entrepreneurs developing innovative solutions in several business value chains such as Honey production, Rice, and Snail farming, among others, claimed top positions after participating in a business pitch that took place across 10 state NYSC Orientation Camps – Katsina, Kano, Kwara, Imo, Rivers, Delta, Sokoto, Edo, Akwa-Ibom, and Osun recently.
Confiance News further gathered at the NYSC Orientation camp at Ikot Itie Udung, Nsit Atai, Akwa Ibom State, Azegba Chimuanya Perpetual, who pitched business on honey production emerged as the overall winner to clinch the N500,000 grand prize; while Iyorwa Kater Israel, a budding commercial rice farmer won N300,000 grant. Similarly, Egelonu Emmanuel Friday walked away with a N200,000 grant to support his Snail farming business.
In the remaining nine states, no fewer than twenty-seven other winners also emerged, after pitching business plans across various economic segments including Fish production, Poultry farming, Fashion, Soap and Cake making, Printing, Piggery, Beverage making, etc.
The Unity Bank Corpreneurship Challenge, which has proved its invaluable social benefit as an entrepreneurship development and job creation platform since its inception receives applications from thousands of serving NYSC Corp members. These business plans are then evaluated based on their originality, marketability, future employability potential of the product, and knowledge of the business.
Speaking during the grand finale in Akwa Ibom State, Unity Bank’s Head of Retail and SME Banking Group, Dr. Opeyemi Ojesina said the Unity Bank Corpreneurship Challenge has earned its pride of place in Nigeria as one of the country’s foremost business incubation platform and entrepreneurship development.
