- She Advises the Beneficiaries to be Prudent
Smart Francis ; Chief Executive Matron, Folorunsho Alakija and AYE
Vice President, Ibada Ahmed at the grand finale of the 2016 empowerment scheme in lagos recently
Nigerian entrepreneurs have been advised to make judicious use of the loan they benefitted through the African Young Enterpreneur(AYE) initiative. Business mogul and matron of the empowerment scheme In Nigeria Mrs. Folorunsho Alakija gave the advice while addressing the beneficiaries of the start-up funds
Nigeria witness the birth of 500 new enterpreneurs with a start-up loan from African Young Enterpreneur Empowerment Nigeria. They were celebrated at the grand finale of the empowerment scheme in Lagos.
Mrs. Alakija who was there advised the beneficiaries which were drawn from across the six geopolitical zone of the country to create an enviable wealth with the fund and there economic potential in their various establishments.
She said “Africa at large is the need of a generation of ground breaking, resilience and adaptable young people. “ According to her, this is the of people that can create a great future saying they have identified and empowered on the most innovative solutions and economically viable businesses that have the potential and passion in converting the present level of their business to becoming ‘the next big thing’in Africa regardless of the sector.
Transmission from education to employment has become a matter of luck and sometimes it takes ‘who you know,’ She said private entrepreneurship is the only solution that guarantees the progress of youths and the economy.
“If we give youths the opportunity the future is going to be bright,” she said.
She said AYEEN and its programs remains the foremost entrepreneurship programme in Africa, adding that thousands of business owned by its members has benefited from grants including financial literacy programs, specialised skills training, soft loans from financial partners and structural support.
She said the 500 beneficiaries have showcased the characteristics of innovation, passion and research in their business fortunes. She encouraged them to challenge themselves by being relevant and dynamic in the face of the current recession.
“Use your God given favours to change the lives of others through job creation. We will continue to monitor your business progress and the necessary support,” she said.
She added that the beneficiaries should not take likely what they have being empowered with, but should use it judiciously, be focused, look and plan ahead, and not mess around.
She urged them to touch the lives of others by setting up businesses that will enable them to give back to the society. “They must work hard, build on and enlarge the money, make the best and the most of
it,” she said.
She noted that the scale of the African and Nigerian challenges is large, saying that effective collaboration is needed to ensure a sustainable entrepreneurship future.
She said this year’s AYEEN programme has experienced a massive turn out of entrepreneurs from Borno state, noting that despite their challenges of terrorism and internal displacement, they had the courage to apply and request for support.
In the light of this, she said AYEEN has extended its mandate from entrepreneurship to include humanitarian support by the launch of ’empower Borno project’ in partnership with the Borno state government.
She said the initiative would drive entrepreneurship evolvement in the state and change the state of violence. She urged all to support the initiative.
