Access Bank has empowered over 400 National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) members with exceptional ideas, across the country with over N240 million seed capital through its Accessprenuer programme.
This is part of its commitment to providing finance and mentorship to young entrepreneurs with a view to making them self-reliant and employment creators.
The programme, which was in partnership with the NYSC, got winners with entrepreneurial ideas from Abuja, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo and Rivers States, with the star winners receiving N1 million each.
The bank made this known at its NYSC Accessprenuer competition held in Lagos. The event also held simultaneously in Kaduna, Anambra, Abuja and Niger States.
Speaking, the Access Bank Regional manager, Lagos, Olukemi Olayinka, said: “Access Bank has been in a strategic partnership with NYSC since 2016. The relationship further evolved into the launch of Accessprenuer: the NYSC edition in February 2021. So far, we have completed seven editions of Accessprenuer competition, impacting over 400 corps members with over N240 million seed capital.”
She added that, “we have also created a Facebook community for all Accessprenuer winners to be able to interact freely amongst themselves and inspire other young people with similar aspirations. The Facebook community has about 6,000 members.”
Represented by branch manager of Access bank, Ikotun, Omowunmi Falade, noted that, “the participants are happy and it is good to be a winner. And when you listen to their pitch presentation, it was wonderful because you know that most of them have innovative solutions or business solutions that will impact the economy positively.
“We know that the youths are the future and the hope of our nation, so it is beautiful to be in their presence and listen to all their peach presentations.”
Beneficiaries of the Accessprenuer competition expressed profound gratitude to the bank for the financial support as this will enable them to contribute to the development of the economy through job creation for other youths.
Founder of Refill Nigeria, Lagos, John Oluwatobiloba, who is a star-prize winner said: “we started business in 2019 and we have been doing a whole lot. So currently what we need now is a logistics unit, which we currently outsource to an outsider.
With this N1 million, we will use it to have a logistics unit and it will improve the business and help us to serve customers better.”
He applauded Access Bank for the financial support, saying, this will help to revive the passion to drive this business.
“So, I am glad and grateful to Access bank for what they have done, this is going to help a lot of youth out there to realise their dreams,” Oluwatobiloba said.
