By Victoria Onehi
About five thousand youths have benefitted from the Youth Enterpreneurship Programme (YEP) organised by the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) from 2007 till date.
The MD/ CEO of the agency Mal Abdulkadir Shehu, disclosed this at the closing and award ceremony for the first batch of the programme which held at AEAa Entreprenuriel Complex in Abuja yesterday.
” Since inception in 2007,YEP has evolved into a powerful force for change, empowering over 5000 corps members and unemployed youths. Through comprehensive training in Entrepreneurship and business management, our participants have gained the knowledge and skills needed to embark on their entrepreneurial journey.
” Today, we honour participants whose ideas and projects have stood out among their peers. Experts evaluated their Business plans and those with the most innovative ideas have been awarded financial and technical support. “Abdulkadir said.
In this batch of Youth Enterpreneurship Programme,44 youths participated and presented their Business Plans.Five participants pitched at the closing ceremony and three won and received cash prizes.
The first position went to Uzibor Isreall who came up with Get Along app to ease movement of people within the capital city which earned him N250,000.Followed by Iyanuonuwa Aluko of Royal Relish Cakes and Events who got N150,000 and Fatima Shehu Jabo of SJ farms who got N100,000.
The overall winner,Uzibor Isreall said the class was about the practicalbillity of everything.” The Facillators challenged us to get to work. I am glad I have been awarded for that efforts today so that gives me the courage to say my ideas can work.I am looking forward to starting up on one of my business ideas.” Isreall said.
The key note Speaker Dr Munzali Dantata urged all the participants to remain innovative and creative to move Nigeria to a productive and manufacturing nation.
The Permanent Secretary of FCTA who was represented by the Director, Mass Education Mrs Hajara Alayande said over the years, the agency has not only developed programmes for business starters, but have equally been providing business mentoring hub for business owners.
She urged all the participants to take advantage of the knowledge and exposure gained in the cause of the training to build and sustain their businesses.
