YouWiN! Connect is a multimedia based relaunch of the YouWiN! programme of the Federal Ministry of Finance. It aims to support young entrepreneurs as they plan, start and grow their businesses, by providing enterprise education as well as access to technical and consulting services. The programme aims to promote entrepreneurship, job creation and wealth via enterprise education for young Nigerians.
YouWiN! Connect provides a forum for young Nigerian entrepreneurs to nurture their ideas and network with industry experts.
Objectives
- Yearly capacity building of 55,500 budding young entrepreneurs.
- Nurture ideas and innovation from young entrepreneurial participants from Universities, Polytechnics, Technical colleges, and other post-Secondary institutions in Nigeria.
- Increase firm growth by 20% and employment by participating MSMEs in Nigeria Target growth in the Agriculture/Agro-processing, Construction, ICT, Fashion, Manufacturing and Retail sectors
- Encourage expansion, specialization and spin-offs of existing businesses in Nigeria
- Enable young entrepreneurs to access a wide business professional network and improve their visibility
Requirements
- Applicants must have post-secondary school qualification.
- Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 40.
- Applicants must be Nigerians and resident in Nigeria.
- Applicants businesses must be domiciled in Nigeria.
- Applicants must be able to communicate effectively in English.
- Applicants must be willing to attend all training and mentoring exercises organized by the programme.
- Applicants must not be an employee of the Nigerian Civil Service.
Capacity Building
- Bi-weekly entrepreneurship publications in the print and online media.
- Online forum for budding entrepreneurs to network with successful entrepreneurs and industry experts.
- 55,500 participants to receive tailored online training in various aspects of entrepreneurship such as access to finance, access to markets, competitiveness, business strategy, and mind-set change.
- In-class / practical training delivered in sector specific hubs across the country. Areas of focus include.
Information Communication Technology
- This will introduce participants to common terminologies used in the start-up ecosystem, and the requirements to commercialize innovations, including protecting intellectual property, describing an innovation and the benefits it provides (vs. features), navigating the development process and market/product validation
Agriculture/AgroProcessing
- This will provide training support to agropreneurs across the value chains in the following areas – Rice, Maize, Cocoa, Oil Palm, Fruit Trees, Poultry, Dairy and Fisheries. It will be held in Agro Hubs across the country.
Fashion
- The training programme will help new and existing fashion designers develop skills to grow their businesses. With the programme’s partnership with renowned local and international fashion designers, participants will learn how to maximize the local and international demand for our fabrics, textiles and prints.
Manufacturing & Retail
- Exposure to basic accounting and inventory management principles, which are keys to retail operations will be provided. In addition, the training programme will offer practical skills in areas such as branding, marketing, finishing and quality control.
Construction
- Participants will acquire specialised skillset training in areas such as masonry, brick-laying, carpentry, and plumbing, all of which will create pathways for local Nigerians to gain employment.
Application Deadline: August 30, 2017
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