By Olasunkanmi Onifade
The Ugwumba Centre for Leadership Development in Africa (UCLA) has empowered more than 10,000 youths and 5,000 women through skills acquisition, mentorship and seed capital support.
The President of the Centre, Uche Nwosu, disclosed this at the grand finale of the Ugwumba SkillUp 2.0 Project, themed: “The Future is Entrepreneurial.”
Nwosu said the initiative, which started nearly a decade ago, was designed to equip young Nigerians with practical skills and financial support to establish sustainable businesses.
“We don’t just train them and leave them. We train them and give them seed money to start their businesses,” he said.
He said the SkillUp programme complemented academic qualifications by equipping graduates with entrepreneurial skills needed to thrive in the economy.“Your certificate is your first address; your second address is the SkillUp. Some of them are accountants, doctors and lawyers, but what can you do?” he said.
Nwosu said beneficiaries received training in wig making, food preservation, paint production, mixology, tailoring and other income-generating skills.
He said more than 5,000 Nigerians registered for the programme last year, with 50 beneficiaries receiving seed funding, while over 8,000 applied in the latest edition.
According to him, 3,500 participants were trained, while 100 beneficiaries received grants to start their businesses.
“What we did today is to give them money to start their businesses. Some products displayed at the exhibition were from beneficiaries of the programme,” he said.
The UCLA President said the initiative was supported through partnerships with individuals, organisations and volunteers who provided resources and expertise.
He noted that some trainers offered their services free of charge in spite of the cost of delivering specialised training.
Nwosu called for stronger collaboration between government and credible non-governmental organisations to ensure empowerment programmes reached beneficiaries at the grassroots.
“The era where a director-general or minister sits in Abuja and tells the President that 1,000 people have been empowered in a community is not enough,” he said.
He urged government agencies to partner with organisations with grassroots reach and capacity to identify and support beneficiaries.
Nwosu advised beneficiaries to treat the grants as business investments and avoid spending them on personal needs.
“This money is not for makeup. This is money for business. It is like transport money that will take them to their destination,” he said.
He also cautioned them against peer pressure, urging them to focus on growing sustainable enterprises.
Delivering the keynote address titled, “Innovating for Tomorrow: Entrepreneurial Education in the 21st Century,” the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Health, Uju Rochas-Anwuka, urged youths to embrace entrepreneurship.
Rochas-Anwuka said the beneficiaries had demonstrated that young Nigerians could create opportunities through skills acquisition and innovation.
She advised them to invest their N250,000 non-refundable grants wisely and avoid using the funds for luxury items.
She described the grants as a vote of confidence in the beneficiaries’ ability to build sustainable businesses.
The presidential aide called for stronger partnerships among government, development partners and the private sector to expand opportunities for young entrepreneurs.
Foltz encouraged beneficiaries to remain focused, seek mentorship and develop solutions that would contribute to their communities.
The Chairman, Board of Trustees of the Centre, the Emir of Dass, Usman Othman, commended the organisation’s commitment to youth and women empowerment.
Othman described entrepreneurship as critical to nation-building and urged beneficiaries to continuously improve their skills and products.
Also, Dr Chudi Ezuruigwe, Acting Director of the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA), urged participants to embrace lifelong learning, innovation and integrity.
He stressed that practical skills, creativity and decisive action were essential for building successful enterprises and driving economic growth.
Earlier, the Director of Programmes of the centre, Blessing Kala-Kala, said the SkillUp 2.0 Project was designed to provide young Africans with skills, mentorship and resources.
Kala-Kala said the programme reflected the centre’s commitment to developing a new generation of entrepreneurs capable of creating jobs and strengthening communities.
She commended the Founder and Executive President of the Centre, for his commitment to youth empowerment and leadership development.
She urged beneficiaries to remain accountable, resilient and committed to growing their businesses, assuring them of continued support from the centre. (NAN)
Edited by Tosin Kolade