Rise Networks, a leading social enterprise in partnership with Lagos State, has empowered 100 youths with N50,000 each to boost their small-scale businesses.
The presentation, which held at Onikan Youth Centre, was part of activities marking the Lagos Youth Week organised to mark United Nations International Youth Day, on August 12.
Delivering her opening remarks at the presentation; Mrs Toyosi Akerele-Ogunsiji, founder/chief executive officer of Rise Networks, affirmed that young people should not be at the bottom of the pyramid.
She said 100 grantees were selected from about 10,000 artisans and traders from the five divisions of Lagos.
The founder added that the vision of the programme is to reach young people in local communities who need capital to support their businesses.
Speaking on the criteria used in selecting winners, she said: “Beneficiaries have to be between the ages of 18-40 and the business has to be situated in Lagos state, even though they don’t have to be indigenes of Lagos. We did an audit of their business and selected winners who needed the most support to improve the fortunes of their businesses. We intentional focus on the grassroots because when people are poor and hungry, the cannot make the best decisions.”
Also, prominent career coach Mr Jimi Tewe, who gave the keynote address during the prize presentation, urged beneficiaries not to use the grant for personal needs, but invest in their business, to build a legacy of benefit to them and their children.
A beneficiary, 19-year-old Karen Umeike, a prospective university student, told The Nation she would use the money to launch her ready-to-wear collections.
“I have been learning tailoring for a year and I came across a flier at my place of work in Surulere. I decided to give it a try even though I wasn’t expecting much from the government, but I was surprised when I got the information that I’ve been selected. I will use the money to buy Ankara fabrics for my ready to wear collection,” she said.
The prize presentation was the climax of a week long programme which targeted young professionals, artisans, young traders and graduates of tertiary institutions. Earlier in the week, a mega youth conference targeting young professions was held featuring renowned achievers such as Akintunde Oyebode, the Executive Secretary of the Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), Dr Ola Brown, a trained helicopter pilot and founder of West Africa’s first indigenous air ambulance service and Rotimi Williams, owner of the second largest rice farm in Nigeria by land size. Also, a mega youth concert featuring artistes such as 9ice, Reminisce, Small Doctor, Wasiu Alabi Pasuma was held at the Agege Stadium on Sunday 12th August.