Unity Bank Plc has announced winners of the 27th edition of its flagship Entrepreneurship Development Initiative, the Corpreneurship Challenge, following the conclusion of business pitches at the Batch C, Stream 2 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camps across 10 states.
The latest round of the competition saw corps members from institutions including Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and The Polytechnic, Ibadan, emerge victorious after presenting business ideas spanning fashion, agribusiness, footwear production and services.
At the Lagos State NYSC Orientation Camp, Awolumate Fawaz Babatunde, a Civil Engineering graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, clinched the N800,000 grand prize after pitching a fashion design business. Ugwoke Daniel Ifechukwu, a graduate of UNN, secured the first runner-up position, receiving N500,000.
In Rivers State, Abdur-Razaq Sayfullah Adebola, an OAU graduate, topped the competition at the Nonwa Gbam Tai Orientation Camp with a footwear production business plan. At the Kwara State camp, Olatunde Esther Funmilayo of Olabisi Onabanjo University won after presenting a deodorant production and services proposal.
Additional winners also emerged from orientation camps in the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja), Niger, Adamawa, Jigawa, Plateau, Kaduna and Delta states, underscoring the nationwide reach of the initiative.
Speaking on the development, the Divisional Head, Retail, SME and E-Business at Unity Bank Plc, Mrs. Adenike Abimbola, said the challenge reflects the bank’s commitment to youth empowerment and enterprise development.
She noted that the initiative was designed to bridge the funding gap faced by many young graduates with viable business ideas by providing financial support, mentorship and confidence at a critical stage of their careers.
According to her, the quality of ideas presented by corps members highlights the growing entrepreneurial drive among Nigerian youths and the potential of the programme to stimulate job creation and strengthen the small and medium-scale enterprise (SME) sector.
The Corpreneurship Challenge, delivered in partnership with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, has become a regular feature of the NYSC orientation course. Since its inception, the initiative has produced 638 young entrepreneurs nationwide and disbursed grants totalling up to N300 million to support business start-ups and expansion.
Unity Bank said the programme aligns with the Federal Government’s push to promote entrepreneurship and self-employment among graduates amid declining white-collar job opportunities, adding that it remains committed to expanding the initiative to foster financial inclusion and sustainable economic growth.
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