Unity Bank Plc has introduced winners within the twenty seventh version of its flagship Entrepreneurship Development Initiative, often known as Corpreneurship Challenge, following the conclusion of Business Pitch on the Batch C, Stream 2 version of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation programme held throughout 10 states of the federation.
Notably, Corps Members who graduated from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), The Polytechnic, Ibadan, amongst a number of tertiary establishments, emerged from the newest spherical of the Corpreneurship Challenge enterprise pitch. Participants pitched enterprise concepts throughout various sectors equivalent to style, agribusiness, footwear manufacturing, and providers.
At the Lagos State NYSC Orientation Camp, Awolumate Fawaz Babatunde, a Civil Engineering graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, emerged the general winner after pitching a style design enterprise, clinching the N800,000 grand prize. Ugwoke Daniel Ifechukwu, a graduate of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, emerged first runner-up to obtain N500,000.
In Rivers State, Abdur-Razaq Sayfullah Adebola, a graduate of Obafemi Awolowo University, topped the competitors on the Nonwa Gbam Tai NYSC Orientation Camp with a footwear-making marketing strategy. Meanwhile, Olatunde Esther Funmilayo of Olabisi Onabanjo University emerged because the winner on the Kwara State NYSC Orientation Camp after impressing judges together with her deodorant manufacturing and providers pitch.
More winners emerged from Abuja, Niger, Adamawa, Jigawa, Plateau, Kaduna, and Delta States, additional increasing the geographical attain and affect of the initiative.
Speaking on the newest version of the programme, Mrs. Adenike Abimbola, Divisional Head, Retail, SME & E-Business at Unity Bank Plc, mentioned the Corpreneurship Challenge continues to mirror the Bank’s dedication to youth empowerment and enterprise improvement.
“The Corpreneurship Challenge has been driven by our commitment to boosting entrepreneurship among young people, especially fresh graduates. At Unity Bank, we recognise that many young Nigerians possess viable business ideas but lack the initial capital and support to bring them to life. The Corpreneurship Challenge was designed to bridge that gap by providing financial backing, mentorship, and confidence to fresh graduates at a critical stage of their lives,” she mentioned.
She added that the standard of concepts introduced by corps members throughout states underscores the rising entrepreneurial urge for food amongst Nigerian youths.
“What we see every edition is innovation, resilience, and a strong desire among young graduates to create value and jobs. By supporting them early, we are not only helping individuals, but also contributing to the growth of the SME ecosystem and the broader economy,” Abimbola famous.
Over the years, the Unity Bank Corpreneurship Challenge has develop into a key characteristic of the NYSC orientation programme, delivered in partnership with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) initiative. Since its inception, the programme has produced 638 younger entrepreneurs nationwide, providing grants of as much as N300 million to assist corps members kick-start or scale their companies.
The initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s drive to advertise entrepreneurship and self-employment amongst graduates, notably amid the shrinking availability of white-collar jobs.
Unity Bank mentioned it stays dedicated to increasing the attain of the Corpreneurship Challenge and deepening its assist for younger entrepreneurs as a part of its broader technique to drive {financial} inclusion, job creation, and sustainable {economic} progress.
