Business
Corpreneurship Challenge: Unity Bank Splashes N10m Grant on 30 Corps Members
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Unity Bank Entrepreneurship Development Initiative – Corpreneurship Challenge, targeted at empowering fresh graduates and Corp Members on one-year compulsory national youth service has, in its ninth edition of the Corpreneurship Challenge held across 10 States recently, doled out N10 million grant to 30 winners.
The winners emerged after a business pitch presentation held across 10 States; namely, Rivers, Delta, Sokoto, Edo, Abuja, Akwa-Ibom, Osun, Kano, Bayelsa, and Enugu, with each state producing three winners who took home cash grants of N500,000, N300,000 and N200,000.
The winners of this ninth edition included Corp Members focusing developing entreneurship in renewable energy, fashion, beauty, agro-processing, confectionaries, etc.
Some of the winners at the Rivers State NYSC Orientation camp at Nonwa Gbam Tai included Muoneke Gift, whose business plan on renewable energy took home the grand prize of N500, 000; followed by Ilesanmi Olamide’s business proposal on beauty services to claim the N300, 000-business grant for first runner up. Ekanem Moses Idoreyin’s confectionary business proposal took home the N200, 000 grant.
The winners emerged after their business plans were assessed by a panel looking out for business ideas that demonstrate originality, marketability, future employability potential of the product, and knowledge of the business.
The Unity Bank Corpreneurship Challenge has gradually joined the league of some of the most impactful, youth-focused entrepreneurship development initiatives in Nigeria, empowering no fewer than 100 young entrepreneurs over the past three years.
Recently, one of the beneficiaries in Sokoto, Beulah Yusuf, who emerged as second runner-up in one of the editions successfully launched her recycling business with the grant received from the Bank. She unveiled her products widely acclaimed for addressing environmental pollution and waste management inefficiencies, underscoring the Bank’s motivations to sustain the initiative.
Speaking during the finale at Rivers State NYSC Orientation Camp recently, the Group Head, Retail, E-Business, and SME Banking, Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Olufunwa Akinmade, said the Bank was delighted with the impressive records the Corpreneurship Challenge has pulled so far.
“When we launched the initiative in 2019, we set out to empower the next generation of entrepreneurs that will disrupt the job market by creating much-needed jobs across all sectors. Today, we have come a long way and the Corpreneurship Challenge has lived up to its billing.”
Represented by Regional Manager, Port Harcourt Region, Unity Bank Plc, Mr. Eto Ukpe, Akinmade reiterated the Bank’s commitment to sustaining the initiative and mainstreaming the Corpreneurship Challenge as a reliable and impactful entrepreneurship and business empowerment and mentorship programme in the country.
“What we have today in the labour market is far from the ideal. However, it is not enough to keep complaining. We must make lemonade out of lemon. We believe that the Corpreneurship Challenge has proved to be one of the most creative approaches to tackling the intractable crisis we have in the job market in Nigeria.”
“Our goal is to expand this programme to all 36 states and sustain it for as long as possible to achieve record impact. We continue to encourage the winners to continue to learn the rudimentary lessons necessary to build a successful business. We emphasize that the budding entrepreneurs who take part in this initiative constantly think about the challenges they will face and put the same energy they all have displayed in preparing for this contest in their businesses as they face their post-service year ahead.”
The Corpreneurship Challenge, which has earned the Bank national recognition for its impact on youth empowerment and job creation, has continued to elicit growing interest among the corps members, attracting over 2000 applicants and participation in every edition.
In partnership with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development, SAED, the initiative prominently features a business pitch presentation that provides the participants with the opportunity to present their business plans and stand a chance to win up to N500, 000 cash in the business grant.
So far, Unity Bank has invested over N100 million in the initiative which has now produced 118 winners since it was launched in 2019.
Ecobank Nigeria has commemorated the 14th edition of Ecobank Day, its flagship Group-wide Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative, across four regions of the country, reaffirming its commitment to empowering communities through education and digital inclusion.
The selected schools include: Hope Fountain Foundation for the Deaf, Agege, Lagos; Ibadan School for the Deaf, Ibadan; Special Secondary School for the Deaf, Odakpu, Onitsha, and Kaduna State Special Education School, Kaduna.
This year’s Ecobank Day was celebrated under the theme, “Digital Education,” with a focus on equipping persons with disabilities and young people with essential digital skills that can enhance their educational, personal, and career development in today’s technology-driven world.
The initiative underscores Ecobank’s commitment to extending its impact beyond banking by helping to equip Africa’s youth with the digital and artificial intelligence (AI) skills required to succeed in the future economy.
As part of the programme, Ecobank employees visited selected schools across the four regions, where they conducted digital literacy sessions and donated learning materials and educational resources to support students’ development and prepare them to thrive in an increasingly digital world.
Speaking during the commemoration, the Managing Director/Regional Executive, Ecobank Nigeria, Bolaji Lawal said: “It is a pleasure to join you today as we commemorate the 14th edition of Ecobank Day, our Group-wide Corporate Social Responsibility initiative dedicated to creating meaningful impact across the communities we serve. “Ecobank Day reflects our commitment to being more than a bank. It demonstrates our dedication to empowering people and contributing to sustainable development across Africa.”
Bolaji noted that digital education has become increasingly important in bridging knowledge gaps and creating opportunities for young people, particularly those living with disabilities, enabling them to participate fully in today’s digital economy.
School proprietors and administrators who participated in the programme commended Ecobank for the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention that will help broaden students’ access to digital knowledge and opportunities.
They expressed appreciation to the Bank for investing in the future of young people and supporting inclusive education within their communities.
For 14 years, Ecobank Day has served as an annual platform for Ecobank employees across Africa to give back to society through impactful volunteer activities that address critical social challenges.
The initiative continues to demonstrate the Bank’s dedication to fostering sustainable development and creating lasting positive change across the communities where it operates.
Fidelity Bank Plc has won two honours at the 2026 BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BAFI) Awards.
The bank’s Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe, received the Award for Excellence in Banking Leadership, while Fidelity Bank was named Best Bank in Oil and Gas Financing.
The awards were presented at the 14th BAFI Awards held recently at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.
According to BusinessDay Media Limited, the leadership award recognises banking executives who have delivered institutional growth, strengthened shareholder value, promoted innovation and inclusion, and contributed to the development of Nigeria’s financial services sector.
Onyeali-Ikpe thanked the organisers and dedicated the award to Fidelity Bank’s customers, board, management and employees.
“I am deeply honoured to receive the Award for Excellence in Banking Leadership. I sincerely thank BusinessDay Media Limited for this recognition and dedicate it to our valued customers, whose trust and support have strengthened and inspired me throughout my career.
“The African philosophy of Ubuntu teaches us, ‘I am because we are.’ In that spirit, this honour also belongs to the board, management and staff of Fidelity Bank Plc, whose dedication and professionalism continue to drive our vision of a stronger, more innovative and customer-focused financial institution,” she said.
Onyeali-Ikpe has more than three decades of banking experience spanning retail, corporate and commercial banking, treasury and business development. Since becoming the Chief Executive Officer, she has led Fidelity Bank through sustained growth and an expansion of its international operations, including the acquisition of the former Union Bank UK, now FidBank UK Limited.
The Best Bank in Oil and Gas Financing award recognised Fidelity Bank’s support for projects across Nigeria’s energy value chain.
The bank financed the development of an onshore crude oil export terminal at the Otakikpo Marginal Field in Rivers State. It also supported the Pinnacle Oil and Gas Terminal in Lekki and part-financed a 23,000-cubic-metre liquefied petroleum gas carrier for Temile Development Company Limited.
Fidelity Bank also participated in the $3bn SNEPCo Contractor Finance Facility, which provides naira and dollar financing to indigenous contractors working on SNEPCo projects.
The projects are expected to strengthen local participation, petroleum product distribution, gas availability and critical energy infrastructure.
The two awards underscore Fidelity Bank’s growing profile in the financial services industry and its role in financing sectors critical to Nigeria’s economic development.
The United Bank for Africa (UBA) is poised to give five young Nigerians a shot at getting a share of N41million in educational grants towards their university education.
The Bank, through UBA Foundation National Essay Competition (NEC), is the much talked about life changing opportunity and it is back for with the 16th edition, and this year, with even more reason for young writers to put pen to paper and change their lives in the process.
Previously, there was a lot of talk around education not given priority or due reward as against reality shows or ephemeral activities. Now that talk is gone with the wind.
The UBA annual competition is designed to give senior secondary school students across Nigeria a platform to express their ideas, showcase their writing and critical thinking skills, which will see the top five finalists, receive financial support throughout their university education.
Most importantly, the prize pot has just gotten bigger as the first-place winner will receive a N15 million university grant, while the second and third-place winners will receive N10 million and N7.5 million respectively. It gets even more rewarding as the fourth and fifth-place winners – introduced for the first time ever in the competition – will also receive N5 million and N3.5 million each.
Participants will be expected to tackle a question that directly affects Nigeria’s future: “No nation can develop without food security. How can Nigeria deal with this problem?” That means this is a chance not just to write, but to think, question, and propose practical ideas for a challenge that affects everyone.
The opportunity is open to Nigerian every senior secondary school student.
According to a statement made available to this medium, applications close Friday, October 23, 2026.
The essay is expected to be handwritten and in not more than 750 words, with applications submitted through the competition’s digital portal, https://www.ubagroup.com/nec/
