30 Kogi Youths to benefit from GYBCEDO/EBIGO Foundation N1m start up grant »

Poised to encouraging entrepreneurship in young people and empowering a new generation of Kogi entrepreneurs, the GYBCEDO/EBIGO Foundation have finalized arrangements to train, mentor and financially support 30 young Kogites in their chosen businesses.

The businesses will each receive a One Million Naira non-refundable grant.

Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Chief Edward Onoja who disclosed this earlier today in Lokoja while hosting the beneficiaries and management team of the foundation said, the scheme is a private initiative of himself and Governor Yahaya Bello aimed at using their capacities and network to reduce the over-dependence of young people on white collar jobs, and to encourage entrepreneurship in the state.

Onoja who gave a brief history of himself, said he ventured into entrepreneurship with a little start-up long before venturing into politics, adding that the business didn’t only sustain him, but has created employment and source of income to other people.

He said the idea of the entrepreneurship series is to create 10 Entities with 10 CEO’s, 20 Executive Directors with a 12 Million Naira investment. This set of beneficiaries are the top 10 winners of the Leadership Essay Competition organized by the GYBCEDO/EBIGO Foundation in November last year.

“The ten winners of the essay are expected to get two more partners each reflecting the EBIGO spirit, and register a business which the foundation will support with a non-refundable 1 Million Naira to each business”. He said.

He further explained that as major shareholders in the new businesses, the ten lead beneficiaries will receive a two days intensive business training and mentorship organized by the foundation, starting tomorrow Saturday, 6th February, 2021.

On his part, Chairman of the board of trustees of the foundation, Pharmacist Alexander Ojona, said Governor Yahaya Bello and Chief Edward Onoja are starting a paradigm that is unprecedented in the state, and urged the beneficiaries to take full advantage of the gesture to change their economic status and that of the state in general.

Speaking on behalf of other beneficiaries, Mr. Matthew James Avaabe expressed gratitude to the foundation and pledge that they will utilize the grants judiciously to become worthy ambassadors of the scheme.

Beneficiaries are expected to receive the One Million Naira grants in March this year.