Unity Bank Plc said it hadwarded about 30 young entrepreneurs a N16 million business grant at its latest edition of its entrepreneurship development initiative, the Corpreneurship Challenge.
The winners, budding entrepreneurs developing innovative solutions across various business value chains including fashion design, bag making, pastry making, event management, beauty, vegetable farming, and more, emerged tops after participating in a business pitch competition held recently for Batch A Stream 2 across 10 NYSC Orientation Camps in Cross River, Niger, Abuja, Nasarawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Plateau, Jigawa, Anambra, and Lagos States.
At the NYSC Orientation Camp in Ipaja, Lagos State, corps member Adeniyi Stephen Gbemininyi, who pitched a fashion design business, emerged as the overall winner, clinching the N800,000 grand prize.
Kolawole Opeoluwa Darasimi, a budding bag maker, won a N500,000 grant, while Johnson Elizabeth Ene received a N300,000 grant to support her cake and pastry business.
Across the remaining nine states, 27 other winners also emerged after pitching business plans in diverse sectors such as fish production, poultry farming, fashion, soap and cake making, printing, piggery, beverage production, and more.
Over the past six years, the Unity Bank Corpreneurship Challenge has become an integral part of the NYSC programme, aligning with the Federal Government’s commitment to upskilling fresh graduates amid the growing dearth of white-collar jobs. The programme attracts thousands of applications from serving NYSC corps members, whose business plans are evaluated for originality, marketability, employability potential, and overall business acumen.
Speaking during the grand finale in Lagos, Unity Bank’s Divisional Head, Retail & SME, Mrs. Adenike Abimbola, said “at Unity Bank, we believe that empowering young people to shape Nigeria’s economic future must be supported to provide longer-term sustainability.
“Through the Corpreneurship Challenge, we are not just providing funding, but nurturing a new generation of entrepreneurs equipped with the skills, resources, and confidence to create jobs and transform communities. The success stories we see year after year reaffirm our commitment to youth empowerment and SME development.
“The overwhelming interest and high quality of business ideas we receive in every edition demonstrate the incredible potential among Nigeria’s youth. We are proud to partner with the NYSC SAED to make these dreams a reality.”
The Corpreneurship Challenge is in partnership with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, the initiative features a business pitch competition that allows participants to present their business plans and win grants of up to N800,000, attracting over 2,000 applicants per edition.
So far, Unity Bank has invested over N100 million in the initiative, producing over 160 winners since its launch in 2019.
