July 1, 2016
There is hope for YouWIN!!!
The news of Federal Government agreeing to fund former president Jonathan government’s YouWIN Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria (YouWIN) programme didn’t come to me as a surprise because the fund as already been set aside. Many people did not know that most of the funds were contributed by World Bank and other local and international organisations.
But what surprises me is Buhari govt wanting to consult with beneficiaries and other concerned parties on restructuring and refocusing of the multi-billion Naira YouWIN programme.
As a young entrepreneur and as one of the pioneer awardees, I have never seen a programme geared toward youth enterprise development like YouWIN.
The programme, initiated by the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2011 as part of the government’s job creation initiatives, provides grants to about 1200 people to start small businesses each year.
It also made provisions for the training of entrepreneurs.
A statement from the ministry said 18, 000 young entrepreneurs were trained in various aspects of Small and Medium Enterprises management and business skills; and 3, 900 of them, including 1, 200 women, were each given non-repayable take-off grants for businesses of their choice ranging from N1 million up to a maximum of N10 million.
YouWIN 3 Beneficiaries who were yet to receive payment before the Jonathan government ended in 2015, had accused the Buhari government of abandoning the programme and refusing to finance their projects.
But the finance ministry says the third edition of the programme, which is still running with 1,500 beneficiaries, has received N11.2 billion in funding, and so far grants totaling N7.4 billion have been disbursed to the awardees.
In June 2016 alone, the sum of N1.687 billion was paid to 638 awardees, the finance ministry’s statement signed by the spokesman, Salisu Danbatta, said.
The statement said the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, promised that the YouWin programme will be restructured to ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability in investing the capital grants given to the beneficiaries by the Federal Government.
Mrs. Adeosun confirmed that all FG commitments under the YouWIN programme will be fully met, but due diligence would be carried out on every beneficiary, using tools like the Bank Verification Number (BVN), and before disbursements.
The Federal Ministry of Finance, which has been running the programme from inception, has scheduled the consultation for July 22, in Abuja, where representatives of the beneficiaries drawn from the six-geo-political zones and other concerned parties would chart a way forward for the programme.
The meeting on July 22, 2016 is to consult stakeholders on restructuring and refocusing of the multi-billion Naira YouWIN programme.
Just a day when Mrs. Adeosun made this known, YouWIN secretariat sent me this mail
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Subject: Update on TNS Gallup Independent Survey
Dear Utibe Etim,
M&E ID ****
This is to inform you that TNS Gallup (RMS) will be conducting an independent survey of young entrepreneurs in Nigeria., and as part of this they will be contacting YouWiN! applicants and awardees to interview them. We encourage you to respond to their survey which will help in the design of programs to help young entrepreneurs in Nigeria.
If you have already been contacted by a representative of TNS Gallup (RMS) kindly ignore this email. If you have not yet been contacted, a representative may contact you over the next few weeks.
A number of YouWiN applicants and beneficiaries who responded to the previous surveys conducted by TNS have won prizes during their prize draw ( https://www.youwin.org.ng/wp-
Thanks
YouWiN! Secretariat
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I will monitor the meeting and keep all my esteemed subscribers and royal followers informed.
