No fewer than 10,000 young female entrepreneurs will benefit from the N500,000 per head Wema Bank Transforming Nigerian Youth Programme which kicked off over the weekend.
The program, organised in partnership with Entrepreneurial Development Centre (EDC) of Pan-Atlantic University and the MasterCard Foundation, will support and train participants of between 18 and 35 years old in various businesses and vocations at no cost to the beneficiaries.
The bank and the varsity disclosed this at its Wema Bank headquarters in Marina, Lagos.
Wema Bank’s Executive Director, Retail and Digital Business, Tunde Mabawonku, described the event as an inception of a powerful collaboration that will positively impact the lives of the people.
Mabawonku maintained that the partnership would drive inclusivity, advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), foster legitimate job opportunities for our vibrant youth, and catalyse change in the lives of individuals, enterprises, and families nationwide.
He said: “With great pride, we embrace the role of architects in this initiative, igniting a spark that promises to set a journey of growth and progress into motion.”
On her part, Divisional Head of Retail and Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) at Wema Bank, Ayodele Olojede, said the collaboration was poised to empower female customers by enhancing their skills, unleashing their potential, boosting employability, and ultimately equipping them to become successful entrepreneurs in their right.
“Through this alliance, 10,000 female business owners who are valued customers of Wema Bank will receive complimentary training from seasoned professionals, courtesy of Pan-Atlantic University’s Entrepreneurial Development Centre.
“Among these, 50 individuals will earn the prestigious opportunity to become certified Business Development Support Providers (BDSPs) through SMEDAN. Moreover, in our commitment to nurturing exceptional entrepreneurs, we are pleased to provide grants and seed funding of up to N500,000 each, enabling them to translate their learning into tangible business success.
“As pioneers of this transformative capacity-building initiative, we are eager to witness the remarkable positive changes that will emerge from this programme. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to everyone participating both virtually and in person. We extend our sincere congratulations in advance to the 10,000 business magnates-in-the-making who will shape the future with their endeavors.”
She added that Wema Bank has consistently championed an inclusive and rewarding banking experience for every valued customer.
Our unwavering commitment to inclusivity has led to the establishment of SARA, our dedicated proposition for women, designed to provide robust solutions and cultivate a supportive community.
Nneka Okekerau
On her part, Director at EDC, Nneka Okekerau said the training cut across those who are entrepreneurs in creative, digital and agribusiness sectors, stressing that there was a need to change the mindset to get positive results.
Okekerau added: “We know that for every business to survive they need to be sustainable. But how do they become sustainable? By changing their mindset.
“This program will change their mindsets by the different types of capacities, the training that they’re going to get.
Some of us might be asking: Training? That means they’ll have to come every day to a particular location? No. They’re going to be receiving training online. They’ll be receiving training across various topics, e.g. customer service, marketing, finance, strategy and everything is going to be done on the device that they have.
“So, if they’re going to stay in their house and learn, who pays for the data? That has also been taken care of. They’re going to learn at their own convenience, anywhere, anytime, on the go, with whatever device that you have.
“You might be asking “what if I don’t have a data-enabled device?” You can actually access the learning on your basic, phone (without data), wherever you are.”
Credit: thenationonlineng.net
