The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited Foundation has announced the unveiling of prospective business opportunities for Nigerian youth as a total of 2,659 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) across the country have been pre-qualified for the final phase of its Business Pitching Exercise.
The Company said the exercise is billed for between July 2 and 10, 2024, as part of the NNPC Foundation’s Financial Literacy Programme for Nigerian youths in which over 284,000 corps members, who underwent training and assessments, were engaged.
The Managing Director of NNPC Foundation, Emmanuella Arukwe said during the unveiling that the selection criteria would focus on the feasibility and sustainability of the business idea, market relevance, competitive edge and innovation, scalability, potential impact on the community and the entrepreneurial spirit of the corps members.
“We have identified these 2,659 individuals who are ready to present their business ideas to a distinguished panel of assessors,” Arukwe announced.
She disclosed that the Financial Literacy Programme was aligned with the NNPC Foundation’s mission of equipping young Nigerian graduates with necessary skills for personal and professional development.
“By educating corps members on financial management and entrepreneurship, the programme aims to empower them to become economically self-sufficient and to contribute positively to society,” she added.
During the pitching exercise, projects that standout would receive startup packs, business advisory services, and opportunities to scale their ventures.
In a related development, the management of NNPC Foundation said it has facilitated a significant 50% reduction in the registration fee for corps members’ businesses with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).
The NNPC Foundation is the Corporate Social Responsibility arm of the NNPC Limited, whose initiatives focus on enhancing Nigeria’s socio-economic development through targeted interventions in education, health, the environment, access to energy and youth empowerment to foster economic empowerment, promote entrepreneurship, and support sustainable development across the nation.