Unity Bank awards N16m business grant to 30 NYSC members

No fewer than 30 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been awarded a N16 million business grant by Unity Bank Plc.

The NYSC members were awarded the business grants during the latest edition of Unity Bank’s flagship entrepreneurship development initiative, the Copreneurship Challenge.

The winners 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 the Ipaja area of 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, and beverage production, among others.

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 of Retail and SME, 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 Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) to make these dreams a reality.”