By Nkechi Eze
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), in collaboration with the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF), has strengthened support for youth entrepreneurship by awarding N10 million in grants to six Corps Members under the Farmers for the Future Programme.
The grants were presented in Abuja to the six winners of the competitive programme, which is aimed at encouraging Corps Members to embrace agribusiness, develop sustainable enterprises and create employment opportunities.
The beneficiaries are Dominic Olufemi, who received N3 million; Temitope Adewole and Abdulwaheed Bala, who received N2 million each; and Olanike Mayungbe, Kingsley Udoeyen and Lorember Lorsue, who received N1 million each.
Speaking at the presentation, the NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, urged Corps Members to maximise the opportunities provided by their service year by venturing into commodity marketing, agribusiness and other viable businesses.
Nafiu described agribusiness as a viable avenue for young Nigerians seeking to build sustainable businesses and create wealth, stressing the importance of value addition to the success and sustainability of every business venture.
“I charge you to spread the news around. We have seen the outcome, and it is a good idea,” the Director-General said.
He commended BATNF for placing Nigerian youths at the centre of its entrepreneurship initiatives through value-chain development, employment creation and its partnership with the NYSC.
In her remarks, the Acting Director, Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED), Mrs. Winifred Shopeka, said the programme began with an online registration portal where Corps Members engaged in agribusiness submitted their business plans, particularly those with existing businesses.
Shopeka disclosed that nearly 3,000 Corps Members applied for the programme and underwent a rigorous selection process, which produced 20 finalists.
According to her, the finalists proceeded to a boot camp and subsequently participated in a final pitching session that produced the 10 best presenters, from whom the six ultimate winners were selected.
She added that the six beneficiaries had been mentored and attached to established market operators who would support them in marketing their products.
Shopeka further disclosed that Corps Members who did not make it to the final stage of the competition were also trained by BATNF, expanding the programme beyond the six grant recipients.
The Team Lead, BATNF, Mr. Oludare Odusanya, congratulated the beneficiaries and urged Corps Members involved in agribusiness to master its fundamentals and acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to succeed.
“We are happy with our collaboration with the NYSC, and it will continue,” Odusanya said.
He explained that BATNF is an independent organisation established to contribute to poverty reduction in Nigeria, particularly through sustainable agricultural practices and other interventions.
Odusanya said the Farmers for the Future Programme was established by BATNF in collaboration with NYSC to encourage Corps Members to venture into agribusiness and become job creators.
He added that the beneficiaries would be attached to mentors who would guide them towards achieving success in their respective businesses.
According to an official statement signed by Caroline Embu, Director, Information and Public Relations, the programme has continued to enhance the entrepreneurial capacity of Corps Members since its inception.
