On the 1^st of October 2011, President Goodluck Jonathan announced to all Nigerians during National Broadcast of Nigeria 51^st Independence that he would be launching an innovative empowerment programme aims at empowering over 100,000 Nigerian youths financially to establish their own businesses and to be self-reliance.

The president made good his promised on Tuesday, 11^th of October, 2011 when he launched the programme, tagged, “YOUTH ENTERPRISE WITH INNOVATION IN NIGERIA” (YOU WIN)”.

What is Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YOU WIN)?

The questions many Nigerians especially the unemployed youths are asking are: what is YOUWIN? How can they take part? What are their chances of being empowered? Would it ever work?

These are few questions begging for answers. So what is YOUWIN?

YOUTH ENTERPRISE WITH INNOVATION IN NIGERIA (YOUWIN) is an innovative empowerment programme launched by President Goodluck Jonathan to empower thousands of Nigerian young entrepreneurs who are talented and are creative with great skills and innovative business ideas, encourage them to start their own business by providing the needed capital for them which will ensure their great ideas and dreams of being entrepreneur are materialized.

The program would provide funding to thousands of aspiring young entrepreneurs or already established entrepreneurs having problem with capital to fund their business.

According to Mr. President, “My conviction is that if government decides to create enterprises, to employ people, the rate will go at arithmetic means but if we identify some talented creative youth and empower them to employ, the rate of employment will grow in geometric progression…. believe that in this we will be able to create job faster than thinking about government to set up enterprises”

The programme is not just for anybody, but for youth with innovative business idea viable enough and easy to setup within few period of time and also to employ others.

For those who want to be part of this great opportunity, your business idea must not be exceptional, but should be innovative and you should also be talented. It can be farming, shoemaking, tailoring, products and services among others.

How Can You Be Part of This Laudable Initiative?

I know many Nigerian youths especially unemployed graduates who have graduated but haven’t gotten any job for a long period of time would want to be part of it.

I will be showing you steps-by-steps on how you can register and get the needed funds to fund your business. Before you rush to register, I’ll like to ask you this question or you can ask yourself- What are my/your chances of being selected?

What Are Your Chances of Being Selected?

Very good question! Your chance of being selected is very high only if you are able to provide cogent answers to these questions:

Is your business idea innovative and viable enough?

Do you have what it takes to be successful in your chosen business?

What are the risks that are involved?

How is the business environment?

What about the return on investment (ROI)?

How much capital is required to setup your business?

And how many people will your business employ?

 

These are just few questions that YouWin team would ask you. So it is advisable you take time to study your business idea and put in a place a workable business plan before heading to register so that you would not be dejected and be discouraged if you are asked to leave for not knowing what to do.

You need to know how much capital to fund your business, the risks involved, how many people would be employed, the business environment (Is it conducive), your competitors among and nitty-gritty among others. Business schools can help you understand these things better.

Sure, if you provide answers to these questions vividly, and you are sure of yourself (business idea), the chance of of you being selected and your project got funded is extremely high.

Enough of these stories! let me show you how to register. Registering for this programme is simple and straight forward.

Step 1: You need to visit www.youwin.org.ng

Step 2: Click on the register button or apply now button, click on “I want to start a business” or “Expand my business”, and click on register button again on the next page

Step 3: Fill the registration form with your names, email, address, educational qualifications and other relevant information.

Step 4: logon to your email account and confirm your registration.

Step 5: After confirming your registration, login with your email and password that was sent to your email.

Step 6: this is the main aspect of it. At this point, you start filling the form and answers for questions that will make your dream come true. If you want to change to “I want to start Business” or “Expand my business”, just click on “My Account” and choose the one you want.

Please note that the information you filled in this form will determine if you’ll be invited for an interview. So ensure you provide genuine information, fact, points and not irrelevant stories and also ensure you’ve studied your business, have good knowledge and business plan.

Will YouWin Be Sustainable? Will it Works?

Another question that keeps bugging my mind is that, will YouWin be sustainable by the Federal Government? Will it works?

I have to ask these questions because I have seen so many laudable initiatives like this that only lasted for the first year. Such programme like Dragon Den only lasted for the first year.

Since the programme is being pioneered by the President G. Jonathan, a man with genuine intension to serve Nigerians and eradicate the suffering of Nigerians, and also being sponsored by reputable organizations like World Bank, Stanbic IBTC Bank, DFID and Julius Berger, the programme will works but might last only for the duration of Goodluck three years remaining tenure.

Also note that 50 billion in 2011 budget set aside for youth employment would be used for the project and state governors are to support the project, which would be launched in six-geo political zones and the states.

Well, let’s wait and see; only time would tell if they would sustain it!

So this is the time for you to put on your thinking cap and go start something now!!

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