Unity Bank says no fewer than 578 young entrepreneurs have benefitted from its Corpreneurship Challenge, an initiative aimed at promoting youth entrepreneurship and job creation across Nigeria.
The bank disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday in Lagos, following the conclusion of the latest edition of the challenge held during the Batch B, Stream II National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation course.
According to the statement, 30 corps members emerged winners in the latest round, receiving a combined grant of ₦16 million to support their business ventures.
The winners, drawn from 10 states including Lagos, Delta, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kwara, Benue, Abia, Kogi, Rivers, and Plateau, pitched innovative ideas in sectors such as fashion, food processing, agriculture, and event management.
At the Lagos NYSC Orientation Camp in Ipaja, Fiyinfoluwa Titilayo Ojo clinched the ₦800,000 grand prize for her soap-making enterprise, while Ndukwe Chiamaka Joan and Barakat Modinat Olamide received ₦500,000 and ₦300,000 respectively for their small chops and beverage businesses.
Ojo described the experience as life-changing, saying the grant and mentorship received would help scale her business and improve its structure.
Unity Bank’s Divisional Head, Retail & SME, Mrs. Adenike Abimbola, said the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s drive to promote entrepreneurship among Nigerian youths.
“At Unity Bank, we believe in the power of young Nigerians to transform the economy. The Corpreneurship Challenge is our way of investing in their dreams and helping them build sustainable businesses,” she said.
The bank said the challenge, which runs in partnership with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, has attracted over 2,000 applicants per edition since its inception.
It added that the initiative would continue to expand its reach and deepen support for the SME sector.
