By Fola James
Unity Bank Plc has announced Akomolede Blessing as the latest winner in the Bank’s Corpreneurship Challenge in the Edo state pitch challenge with a N500 000 cheque presented to him by Oliseneku Emmanuel Ezemezu, the bank’s Regional Manager, Edo/Delta states.
The lender introduced the challenge, last year, to assist members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC become business owners. Many NYSC members have benefitted from the programme.
The Oluwatomi Somefun-led Unity Bank’s flagship business plan competition for NYSC members has produced many winners, including Ejidike Vitalis, Aromire Yusuf, and Sanni Adeola who all emerged during the final pitch for NYSC 2020 Batch B, Stream 1B corps members, held at the Lagos NYSC Orientation camp last year.
One of the high points of last year’s event occurred when a Zobo beverage processing plant business plan by Ejidike Vitalis, a Pharmacy graduate from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka emerged the best plan, winning the N500,000 grant.
Other winners include a fish farm business plan by Aromire Yusuf which earned him N300,000 business grant, while Sanusi Adeola’s Garri Processing plant business plan received N200,000 business grant.
To ensure best practices, the Bank has always ensured that contestants’ business plans were assessed on originality, marketability, future employability potential of the product and knowledge of the business.
Speaking on the initiative recently, Divisional Head, Retail, SME & E-Business, Olufunwa Akinmade said “Our value proposition is to therefore reach out and equip more corps members by improving the quality of the mentoring programme in the corpreneurship challenge and in the process, build increased capacity amongst the Youths who will become a catalyst to Nigeria’s economic development.”
Two years ago, Unity Bank Plc introduced the Entrepreneurial Development Initiative, to specifically targets corps members, as part of efforts to contribute to job creation in Nigeria and empower jobless youths to become entrepreneurs.
