Young entrepreneurs in Ijebu North took centre stage in a high-stakes Business Pitching Competition (BPC) following an intensive three-day bootcamp aimed at equipping them with essential business skills.
The bootcamp, a collaboration between New Generation Foundation and Ijebu North Youth Award (INYA), was held from February 18 to 20 at the Ijebu Igbo Club.
Participants underwent rigorous training on critical entrepreneurial concepts, including writing business plans, understanding the business model canvas, identifying target markets, crafting unique selling propositions, and navigating legal regulations and policies.
The programme featured seasoned trainers and facilitators, including representatives from the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), NG Business First, Ijebu Business School, and Mr. Bayo Ogunbanjo, former Managing Director of Molusi Microfinance Bank.
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At the pitching competition, were 15 entrepreneurs from diverse industries—including agribusiness, construction, retail, manufacturing, and IT, who presented their business ideas. After rigorous evaluation, only five registered businesses were selected for support.
INYA Chairman, Comr. Senbadejo encouraged participants to apply the knowledge gained during the training to scale their businesses. He also urged the government to foster venture capital investments to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs), emphasising their crucial role in economic growth.