By Ayomide Otitoju
No fewer than 578 young entrepreneurs across Nigeria have benefited from Unity Bank’s Corpreneurship Challenge, the Bank’s flagship entrepreneurial development initiative designed to empower youth and drive economic growth.
Over the years, Unity Bank has supported aspiring entrepreneurs across diverse sectors, helping them start businesses, create jobs, and contribute to national development. The ongoing initiative recently produced 30 new winners who received a total grant of ₦16 million during the Batch B, Stream II edition of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation course held across 10 states.
The winners, drawn from Lagos, Delta, Kaduna, Jigawa, Kwara, Benue, Abia, Kogi, Rivers, and Plateau States, impressed judges with innovative business ideas in fashion, pastry and beverage production, event management, and agriculture.
At the Lagos NYSC Orientation Camp in Ipaja, Fiyinfoluwa Titilayo Ojo emerged overall winner with her soap-making enterprise, earning the ₦800,000 grand prize. Ndukwe Chiamaka Joan won ₦500,000 as first runner-up for her small chops business, while Barakat Modinat Olamide received ₦300,000 for her beverage venture.
Expressing her gratitude, Ojo described the experience as transformative, noting that the challenge boosted her confidence and business skills. “Winning the Corpreneurship Challenge has given me the push I needed to scale my business. It’s inspiring to see a bank that truly believes in young people’s dreams,” she said.
In other participating states, 27 winners also emerged with business ideas spanning fish farming, piggery, printing, and confectionery production.
Now in its sixth year, the Corpreneurship Challenge has become a major feature of the NYSC programme, supporting the Federal Government’s drive to foster youth entrepreneurship amid rising unemployment. Each edition attracts thousands of entries from corps members whose business proposals are assessed based on innovation, market potential, and job creation capacity.
Speaking during the Lagos finale, Unity Bank’s Divisional Head, Retail & SME, Mrs. Adenike Abimbola, reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to nurturing young entrepreneurs.
“At Unity Bank, we see the creativity and energy of Nigerian youth as the backbone of economic transformation,” she said. “The Corpreneurship Challenge empowers them with grants, mentorship, and business development support to turn their ideas into viable enterprises.”
The initiative, implemented in partnership with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, continues to serve as a launchpad for youth-owned enterprises, offering grants of up to ₦800,000 per participant.
Unity Bank’s Corpreneurship Challenge has earned national recognition for its impact on youth empowerment, attracting over 2,000 applicants per edition and positioning the Bank as a leading advocate for entrepreneurship and job creation in Nigeria.
