As part of its value addition to the Youth Enterprise With
Innovation In Nigeria (YouWiN) empowerment programme of the
Federal Government, Skye Bank Plc has provided intellectual
dimensions to the scheme by taking the awardees of the
federal government grants through entrepreneurial training.
Speaking at the second seminar series organized by the bank
for the awardees in Lagos yesterday, the bank’s Executive
Director, Retail Banking/South South Business Development,
Mrs Ibiye Ekong, said Skye Bank had always been with the
YouWiN programme from inception and has been passionate
about it.
She said the management of the bank valued the relationship
it has with the programme and promised the readiness of the
bank to do more in the area of economically empowering the
youth, through financial and business advisory intervention
thereby reducing unemployment in the country.
The ‘Batch B’ of the YouWiN scheme was designed
primarily for female entrepreneurs across the country. Ekong
described women as good managers of resources, saying a
nation that educates its women would be free from
backwardness.
She urged the grant recipients to ensure that they create
250,000 new jobs thereby justifying the essence of the
scheme. That way, she said the unemployment situation in the
country would be controlled and reduced.
Also speaking at the seminar, Deputy Project Manager,
YouWiN, Mr. Akubo Adegbe, commended Skye Bank for organizing
the seminar for the awardees, noting that the
programme had been designed to assist budding entrepreneurs
realise their dreams of owning their own businesses, provide
job opportunities for the unemployed and impact the society
positively.
Adegbe said YouWIN would continue to provide seed grant to
business inclined youth so that they could be economically
self sufficient, help in creating jobs and contribute to the
growth of the national economy.
He said the only way the existence of the scheme could be
justified was for the awardees to help create new jobs and
fulfill the objectives for which it was set up.
The forum which was organized under Skye Bank’s Priority
banking portfolio, saw the awardees being taken through the
process of business management, financial planning, and
other essential business survival tactics that will put them
in good stead while managing their own businesses.
The first edition of the Skye Bank seminar series for the
YouWiN awardees was held last year and was a huge success.
Skye Bank is the only bank among the four YouWiN fund
managers to organize an enlightenment and capacity building
seminar for the awardees.