Firm deploys six reading clubs, othersLAST weekend in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, MTN's Budding Entrepreneurs Business Grant competition moved a notch higher as anxious young business people defended 40 shortlisted entries.The budding entrepreneurs competition is part of MTN's strategy for entrepreneurial development in Nigeria. The programme kicked off with the MTN Leadership seminar addressed by American business prodigy, Dr. Farrah Gray, recently in Lagos and Port Harcourt.But to ensure the highest standards for this process, MTN has constituted a highly respected jury of technocrats, professionals and academics. The selection faculty is made up of Head, Training, Fate Foundation, Elizabeth Olofin, author of Entrepreneur Workbook 'What's In Your Hands'' Charles Ntuko, chief executive officer, Thotline Concepts, Christopher Okocha, chief executive officer, Signlife Consulting Ltd and Chief Executive Officer, Giantthoughts International, Ogbo Awoke Ogbo.The first prize winner, aside a business grant of N20 million from MTN wins a six-month mentorship with Gray. The first and second runners-up will win a cash prize of N5 million each from MTN to breathe life into their business plans.In a related development, the telecommunications firm has affirmed the commitment to deploy six reading clubs across Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt, as well as, upgrading libraries in 15 schools across the country, as part of the telecoms company's commitment to promoting education in Nigeria.This was disclosed by the Corporate Services Executive of MTN Nigeria, Mr. Akinwale Goodluck at a ceremony held at the company's headquarters in Lagos at the weekend to kick off this years' edition of the company's 21 Days of Ye'llo Care.The scheme is an MTN Group staff volunteerism initiative, observed annually in the month of June across all MTN operating countries, which provides a platform for MTN staff to further demonstrate MTN's leadership in Corporate Social Responsibility, by collectively taking part in social investment projects in its various communities of operations.According to Goodluck, who stated that the theme of this year's 21 Days of Ye'llo Care to be investing in Education for All,' education remains key to Africa's and Nigeria's development agenda.In the same vein, he said education is critical to MTN's overall Corporate Social Investment strategy, which, he said, is guided by a commitment to adding value in the Nigerian education sector and intimately contributing to socio-economic development.He said this year's programme focuses on improving educational standard, providing an enabling environment for learning and promoting gender equality in education by investing in the education of the girl child.
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