Akan Ido
President Goodluck Jonathan will today, September 3, launch the second phase of the Youth Enterprise with Innovation (YOUWIN! 2) programme exclusively for women.
The launch is expected to take place at the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja. Several stakeholders and intending participants are expected to be at the occasion for the programme aimed at creating thousands of jobs by helping winners strengthen and expand existing businesses as well as turn innovative ideas into solid businesses.
According to the Ministry of Finance, the first phase of the competition produced 1,200 winners who will be assisted to grow businesses which is expected to create a knock-on effect aimed at further stimulating the economy and create employment.
Among the 1,200, six outstanding awardees were given Presidential Awards by President Goodluck Jonathan in April as acknowledgement for the work they put into developing their businesses.
According to reports, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, the senior special assistant to the minister of finance stated that winners of the competition are expected to win grants of up to N10m, strategic guidance by experienced mentors, and technical support including functional websites to showcase their business innovation.
The YOUWIN! 2 is a business plan competition for female youth entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 45.
May the best women (You)Win.
YouWIN project is a laudable initiative by the present administraion in promoting entreprenuership among the younger population in creating jobs and promoting genuity.
However, from reliable source, some of the beneficiaries of YOUWIN 1 are still unable to access the fund/grand/ loan. A large number of them, indeed.
I will suggest that the Hon. Minister of Finance should ensure that the commercial banks charged witht the responsibility of disbursing the funds should do so for the success of the laudable initiative.
I believe the Cordinating Minister in her early days with WB will not present another proposal for continuity on a project without doing a good evaluation of the pilot stage. I will suggest that the scorecard of performance of the pilot stage (YOUWIN 1) should be done first, before embarking on the second phase.
The Policy makers in Nigeria always have good intent, good programme but the implementaion of it, that is where we're lacking. Same with the cash-less policy of the CBN, only piloted in Lagos state, Mallam Sanusi after 6month brings up the printing of N5,000 and coining of N20- N5 without first taking the cash-less policy nationwide first, show the Nigerian populace the merit of the policy and need to higher denomination of currency.
Anyway, we all think we have the Oil-money to pick any time… Remember, if the Oil stop flowing before 2015 what will our economy depend on..
For the CBN Governor, I believe Nigeria's currency is Naira and Kobo , where is the Kobo( I'm not talking of coins now).. If at all, you need to printing higher currency for any economic reason, which I did not see in your analysis, why not redominate the currency, for us to have kobo and those currency which Dollar will be chasing as against Naira chasing the Dollar.
Olusola Ayodele
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