MANY have responded to the call for application for new empowerment initiative tagged the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWin), which was recently launched by President Jonathan.(YouWin) is a joint initiative of ministries of Finance, Youth and Development and Communication/Technology. It offers an annual business plan competition (BPC) for aspiring entrepreneurs in the country in line with the Federal government's drive to create more jobs the masses.Among the youth Nigerians who sees the scheme as an answer to their prayer is Hameed Isa a young business merchant in Ibadan.He said: 'I have been struggling to put my business in shape but it has not been easy. I see YouWin as perfect chance for me to move it to the next level.''Sefiya Auta, Ronke Johnson and Medina Imam are three friends who met in the University of Ilorin some years back. Seeing the huge market for synthetic hair, they started as small distributors. Having done this for two years, they feel it's time to become country representatives for a reputable brand.But the challenges are daunting, considering the financial requirements from the company they would like to represent. Although they have made numerous presentations to banks, their request for a loan has not been forthcoming.That is why, according to Sefiya, 'we see YouWIN as a solution. We will do all we can to get one of the top prizes.'What stands YouWIN out from the other entrepreneurial projects in the country is the fact that it is backed by the Federal Government and managed by three different ministries.YouWIN will run simultaneously in all the six geo-political zones, producing 1,200 winners who will receive between N1m and N10m each.Beyond monetary reward for packaging a good business plan, is another leg, which includes training by Lagos Business School, supported by other international schools.Aside this, some notable Nigerian business men and women have volunteered to mentor the young business people who are aspiring to step into their big shoes. Also present would be banks and other financial institutions to teach the candidates on how to access facilities for their businesses.Another reason, this writer imagines, why the response has been so enthusiastic is that it has been created specifically for young people between the ages of 18 to 35. This target group happens to house all the people who have great ideas but who do not have the requisite experience or the financial resources to bring their ideas to reality. With this support coming from the Federal Government and ably managed by the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, the young people of Nigeria can look forward to better days where they shall no longer roam the streets, but shall be employers of labour.
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