Seplat Commits To Youths Entrepreuship Development....... another N16.5m seed money

Seplat Energy Board's pose with the youth entrepreneurs and special guests, during the cheque presentation to C4C and capacity building for past beneficiaries (Fellows) of the programme held in Abuja recently.

By Akinola Ajibade 

Seplat Energy Joint Venture(JV)  organised a workshop recently in order to develop the leadership skills and management capacity of both young and old entrepreneurs in Nigeria. 

Tagged Fellowship Programme for Entrepreneurs, the programme was a huge success for the company, which was listed in both the London and Nigerian Stock Exchanges respectively, as participants reminisced  on their achievements and those waiting for them to achieve, in the event that they utilise their potentials well.

Dated back to 2019, the programme, which was organised by Seplat Energy and its partners notably Conversation for Change (C4C) received  another  N16.5 million for funding.

Speaking at the event in Abuja recently,  the Director, External Affairs & Sustainability, Seplat Energy, Dr. Chioma Nwachukwu, noted that Seplat JV/C4C has  successfully trained and supported three batches of fellows, comprising about 55 young entrepreneurs, who are  creating values as well as well as boosting Nigeria's economy

.Nwachukwu said: " “Each beneficiary has shown resilience, creativity and innovation through the duration of the yearly programme and has now become our proof that we could truly make Nigeria better by investing in the youth population,” 

In a lecture themed: ‘Unleashing Nigeria’s untapped Potential through Entrepreneurship and Sustainability’ and  delivered to the Fellows at the event, the speaker,  Ms Arunma Oteh, did justice to the occasion through her well researched lecture, which deepened the mind of participants greatly. Oteh was a former Director General, Nigeria's Securities and Exchange Commission(SEC),  Independent Non-Executive Director of Seplat Energy Plc, and Scholar at Said Business School, University of Oxford..

She  commended Seplat Energy JV and its partner, C4C, for their commitments  to youth empowerment in Nigeria, adding  that their activities have helped reduce unemployment and further ameliorate the poverty level in the country. 

This Oteh said, has immensely contributed to the nation's  economic growth. 

Continuing further, she said that “Seplat Energy’s approach to sustainability has put the company on a very high pedestal amongst its peers, thus making the company a reference point in Nigeria and internationally.” 

Present also at the event was Bello Rabiu, an Independent Non-Executive Director and member of the Sustainability Committee of the Seplat Energy Board, who restated company’s commitment to support entrepreneurship in Nigeria. 

Youth entrepreneurs, Bello said are regarded as a catalyst for change in any economy, urging Nigerians to wholly support the initiative.

The event witnessed an exhibition of  products made by the entrepreneurs, whose small-scale enterprises include but not limited to upcycling of waste, agribusiness, beauty and skincare, among others.

Also, the President,  C4C, Dr Kechi Ogbuagu said that a promising future awaits entrepreneurs in  Nigeria, in view of the collaboration between Seplat Energy and her Partners,

Recall that  Seplat Energy and C4C four years ago precisely 2019 collaborated with a view to improve the lives of young Nigerians.

Right from the selection process to the intensive face-to-face training on key management aspects of business, participation in internship trainings with credible companies in various areas of vocation and the support provided to each of their businesses, these activities of the fellowship programme have produced innovative and well equipped young social entrepreneurs, who are ready to succeed in the world of business.0