CBN Gives N3m Each To Eligible Youths On Empowerment Programme

Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to give three million naira each to empower eligible youths under the Youth Initiative Empowerment Development Programme (YIEDP), the Governor, Mr Godwin Emefiele, has said.

Emefiele made the disclosure at the launch of YIEDP in Abuja on Tuesday.

He said “the programme is open to youths who are either serving in the National Youth Service Corps or those who have not spent more than five years post NYSC service.

“Credit line will be made available up to three million naira to each eligible youth, thereby fixing the problem of inadequate finance often encountered by business start-ups.

“And receptions that utilise the funds properly can be encouraged to migrate to the other CBN interventions wherein they access more funds.’’

Emefiele said that N210 billion had been set aside for the programme and added that the collateral for accessing the fund was simple.

“It will include assets, such as academic and NYSC certificates, third party guarantees and other movable assets.

“This programmes will be an equal opportunity programme across gender and geo-political zones and we have developed a robust operational framework to deliver a bias-free per-qualification and selection process.’’

He said that CBN was targeting 10,000 youths with the aim of creating one million direct jobs in productive activities within the next four years.

According to Emefiele, the National Bureau of Statistics says that there are over 36.3million youths in Nigeria’s labour force out of whom 13.6 million are either underemployed or unemployed.

He noted that many talented youth in the country were constrained by seed funding which was very scarce.

He explained that to address the situation, CBN in collaboration with NYSC came up with the initiative.

The CBN governor commended the efforts of the Director-General of NYSC, Brig Gen Johnson Olawumi, and Mr Akinsola Akinfemiwa, Chairman, Heritage Bank for their commitment to the programme.

Credit: Dailytimes

Shell Gives N15m To 21 Youths As Business Grants

The Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) has given 21 youths, who graduated from its LiveWire Entrepreneurship programme, N15 million to share as a means to starting their businesses.

SPDC’s General Manager, External Relations Igo Weli said this at the 2015 Graduation and Award Ceremony for 21 beneficiaries of its sponsored LiveWIRE programme.

Weli said that 14,000 candidates in Niger Delta applied for the 2015 LiveWIRE programme out of which 150 youths were selected after a rigorous screening exercise.

“LiveWIRE is a programme designed to provide opportunities for young people in our host communities to realise their potential through creation and development of their own businesses.

“The programme gives youths access to entrepreneurial training, business development services as well as start-up capital for youth-owned businesses.

“This exercise, which started in 2003, has trained and empowered over 6,000 Niger Delta youths who have employed many youths in the area.

“Out of the 6,000 that this programme has trained, 3,000 of these trainees were assisted to set up their businesses through business start-up awards,’’ he said.

Weli added that no fewer than 40 people had been employed by trainees who graduated from its LiveWIRE programme in 2014.

According to him, the 2014 LiveWire graduates have made a combined profit of about N10 million excluding their capital.

He said that SPDC was committed and dedicated to developing youths in its host communities.

The Most Innovative Award prize winner, Mrs Gladys Nwabueze, said the programme equipped her with requisite knowledge and skills and handed her tools with which to work.

Nwabueze said the skills would enable her open up a sanitary pad company targeted at low-income earners.

“Sanitary pad is like a luxury to a lot of women hence I’ve developed a pad that will be affordable for use for everyday woman,’’ Nwabueze said.

 

(NAN)