British Council, King’s Trust, ENDIP Empower Young People to Improve Business Ideas in Imo

Amby Uneze in Owerri

The British Council has sponsored and empowered young people to develop and expand their business ideas into profitable ventures through the Youth Sustainable Enterprise Challenge Programme (YSECP) in Imo State.

The programme is under the technical partnership of King’s Trust International and Entrepreneurial Development Initiative (ENDIP) as the implementing partner.

Presenting the certificates and grants to the lucky winners, the Programme Manager, Non-Formal Education, British Council, Yahaya Joseph Janga, maintained the Youth Sustainable Enterprise Challenge programme falls under the youth connect programme of the British Council which defines their capacity building outside the formal schools and tertiary educational sector.

According to him, our target is young people between the ages 18 to 35, and what we are doing today is to give these young people the skills and knowledge and confidence they need to succeed either as entrepreneurs or be employable.

We implement this project across eight locations in Nigeria: Imo, Rivers, Jigawa, Kano, Lagos, Ogun, and Enugu States.

He stated the programme is solely funded by the British Council, but with technical and implementing partners – King’s Trust, and ENDIP, stressing the British Council is partnering with ENDIP to implement the programme in Imo State.

Janga, who expressed satisfaction over the level of input, presentation and delivery of the young business entrepreneurs, however, advised the winners to make use of the grants judiciously so that their businesses could be sustained and more people empowered from their level of experience.

He said, “I am quite excited to hear their business ideas, I believe the young people in Nigeria have no challenges that cannot be managed with opportunities to be unlocked. Seeing these young people presenting their business ideas make me happy and the essence of the programme has been met today.

“We started this programme to up-skill young people because we discovered that young people after they graduate lack the required skills to move into the job market or to start their own businesses.

“That is why we set up this programme to fill in the gap to build confidence in them to succeed. They were trained for eight weeks in business development, pitching competition and such skills like communication, work collaboration and confidence.

“I just want to thank all stakeholders and encourage others to key into it to support the young people to develop their potential, skills, network and opportunities. As the British Council we partner with the government to support what they are doing.

“However, looking at what young people are passing through at the moment we encourage the government to look into their plights and support them to ensure that they explore other opportunities to empower them in their required skills and give them financial support.”

In her remarks, Programme Coordinator for YSECP in Imo State, Mercy Okoro, observed that among the young business entrepreneurs they trained 18 participants were selected for the final pitching and eight lucky winners were presented with the grants of N300,000 each to improve on their businesses.

She said that participants were selected through needs criteria, including having a business concern, ability to explain the concept of the business, how to sustain the business, marketing strategy, etc, adding that by next year “we expect to get success stories from their business.”

“It is a grant and other a loan. We monitor them by carrying our due diligence on their business to make sure that the grant is well utilised. My advice to the winners is for them to apply the funds for the purposes for which they were given. They should be of good character and good citizens in the society,” she said.

One of the winners, Monicmary Itoya Eniga, the overall winner of the just concluded Youth sustainability Enterprise challenge programme expressed gratitude to God and the sponsors of the programme for given them the opportunity to develop themselves.

She said being the winner and as a person with disability, I am so excited and very grateful to God Almighty for making it possible for me to scale through and to stand out.

“I’m here to say thank you to the ENDIP group, British council and King’s Trust International for creating a platform where people with disabilities can showcase their skills and talents and

“I pray that more opportunities like this that can accommodate people with disabilities come out in future and I also pray that God bless and increase the resources of the sponsors of this program. Once again, thank you so much and God bless you all.”

Another winner, Mr. Ede Godstime said “I feel so excited to be among the eight lucky winners. I appreciate the British Council, the technical partners – King’s Trust International and the implementing partner – ENDIP for bringing this leadership training to us.

“I feel so encouraged and I want to promise that I will use the funds judiciously, so that my business will grow and impact positively on other people.”