Unity Bank Plc has awarded ₦16 million in business grants to 30 young entrepreneurs as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting youth-led businesses through the Corpreneurship Challenge, an enterprise development programme under the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).
The beneficiaries, all members of the NYSC Batch A Stream 2, were selected following a competitive business pitch exercise held across 10 NYSC Orientation Camps nationwide. The participating states included Lagos, Cross River, Niger, Abuja, Nasarawa, Taraba, Kaduna, Plateau, Jigawa, and Anambra.
Emerging as the overall winner at the Lagos Orientation Camp was Adeniyi Stephen Gbemininyi, whose fashion design startup earned him the ₦800,000 top prize. Kolawole Opeoluwa Darasimi secured a ₦500,000 grant for her bag-making business, while Johnson Elizabeth Ene received ₦300,000 to grow her pastry venture.
In the other nine states, 27 additional winners pitched diverse business plans spanning agriculture, food production, fashion, event management, and manufacturing sectors. Sectors represented included fish and poultry farming, piggery, soap production, printing, and beverage manufacturing.
Now in its sixth year, the Corpreneurship Challenge has become a key feature of Unity Bank’s youth empowerment agenda, supporting the Federal Government’s broader goal of addressing youth unemployment by promoting entrepreneurship. Each edition draws thousands of applications from serving corps members whose business plans are assessed based on creativity, market viability, job creation potential, and sustainability.
Speaking at the grand finale in Lagos, Mrs. Adenike Abimbola, Divisional Head of Retail and SME Banking at Unity Bank, highlighted the bank’s long-term vision for the programme.
“At Unity Bank, we understand that the future of Nigeria’s economy rests in the hands of young innovators and entrepreneurs. This initiative is not only about grants; it’s about equipping young people with the skills, confidence, and financial support they need to transform their ideas into sustainable ventures,” she said.
Abimbola praised the quality of the business ideas submitted in this edition, adding, “The passion and innovation we see in these young Nigerians is inspiring. We are proud to collaborate with NYSC SAED to provide a platform that turns their entrepreneurial dreams into reality.”
Since its inception in 2019, Unity Bank has invested over ₦100 million in the Corpreneurship Challenge, producing more than 160 grant winners nationwide.
The programme, run in partnership with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) initiative, features a structured pitch competition where corps members present their business plans for a chance to win grants of up to ₦800,000.
Unity Bank’s Corpreneurship Challenge continues to earn national recognition for its role in driving youth entrepreneurship and economic empowerment, as the bank seeks to nurture the next generation of Nigerian business leaders.
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