THE Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has announced that 2,659 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members across Nigeria have been pre-qualified for the final phase of the NNPCL Foundation Business Pitching Exercise.
This announcement was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday, June 28, by the chief corporate communications officer of (NNPCL), Olufemi Soneye.
According to Soneye, the exercise engaged over 284,000 corps members as part of the NNPCL Foundation’s Financial Literacy Programme, who underwent rigorous training and assessments before the shortlist was made.
The final training for the eligible NYSC members is scheduled from July 2 to 10, 2024.
The managing director of NNPC Foundation, Emmanuella Arukwe, explained that the selection process will prioritise business ideas that demonstrate feasibility, sustainability, market relevance, competitive advantage, innovation, scalability, potential community impact, and the entrepreneurial drive of the corps members.
She stated that the criteria will serve as the benchmark for evaluating the proposals and identifying the most promising ventures.
She said, “We have identified these 2,659 individuals who are ready to present their business ideas to a distinguished panel of assessors,” Arukwe disclosed in a statement issued by the NNPCL.
“By educating corps members on financial management and entrepreneurship, the program aims to empower them to become economically self-sufficient and to contribute positively to society,” she added.
She stressed that outstanding projects will receive startup packs, business advisory services, and opportunities to scale their ventures during the pitching exercise.
Arukwe informed that the Financial Literacy Programme is aligned with the NNPC Foundation’s mission of equipping young Nigerian graduates with the necessary skills for personal and professional development.
Kehinde Ogunyale tells stories by using data to hold power into account. You can send him a mail at [email protected] (jameskennyogunyale@gmail) or Twitter: Prof_KennyJames