The International Breweries through its Hero’s Foundation Kickstart Programme is set to empower young Nigerian entrepreneurs with business grants to start-up or expand their businesses, at an awards ceremony scheduled to take place on the 18th of December 2018.
This follows the successful conclusion of the third edition of its Kickstart programme which involved a week-long business training and business plan adjudication by a select panel of judges led by Professor Chukwuka Osisioma who analysed the business proposals submitted by the trainees. These shortlisted winners from by the panel will be revealed at the awards ceremony.
Over 80 of the 120 candidates shortlisted for the programme, living in the 10 participating states attended the business training. These selected candidates were trained by a diverse team of professionals including Professor Alex Ikeme.
At the end of the training programme, participants were excited at the prospect of getting business grants and showed their gratitude to International Breweries for the privilege to learn invaluable skills from certified business experts and professionals.
Chikwelu Odenigbo, a trainee said, “The business training was awesome, the whole event was well-planned, and the facilitators such as Professor Ikeme, Professor Stella Okunna gave us their best.” Adding that business training made him a more enlightened entrepreneur, he said, “Right now, I am going back well prepared, and more informed. I am a better entrepreneur. The things I used to know before, I know them better.”
The Hero’s Foundation Kickstart programme is a Corporate Social Investment (CSI) of International Breweries Plc aimed at instilling a culture of entrepreneurship among Nigerian youths. The programme kicked off in 2016 with the five core eastern states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo but it has since expanded to include Benue, Edo and Delta State. This year, the programme further cast its net to include youths in Bayelsa and Rivers States.
