Over 40 start ups win at Mara Mentor One-on-One Abuja
Mara One On One Business session in full swing |
No fewer than 40 young start-ups have been
selected for six-month mentorship placements courtesy of Mara Mentor’s
One-on-One session held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja recently.
The Mara Mentor One-on-One event, a session
organized for ambitious entrepreneurs to engage experienced business leaders,
provided over 60 budding entrepreneurs (mentees) with the opportunity to pitch
their business ideas to 25 industry experts (mentors) and a compete for a
six-month mentorship period during which the experts would act as mentors,
providing guidance and direction as they venture into the entrepreneurship
space.
One of the Business Pitch sessions |
According to a statement by Mara
Foundation’s Media officer, Douglas Imaralu, the selected entrepreneurs will
now proceed for the mentorship period under the tutelage of a cross section of
business leaders including: General Manager, Regional Operations MTN Nigeria, Adekunle
Adebiyi, Chairperson, Better Life for African Rural Women, Hayija Aisha
Babangida, Director Bank of Agriculture, Mohammed Santuraki and CEO, Stanbic
IBTC Trustees Binta Max-Gbinije among others.
The business leaders, who are also mentors
on Mara Mentor, drilled the young entrepreneurs (mentees) who were given three
minutes each to pitch their business ideas in a clear and concise manner.
The Federal Minister of Youth Development,
Hon. Boni Haruna commended young Nigerians for “driving their own future by
creating opportunities for themselves and others, by undertaking different entrepreneurial
ventures aimed towards economic freedom and empowerment.”
Mentors and Business leaders at the event |
According to the Minister, “Mara Mentor
program is a project designed to enhance entrepreneurship education, capacity
building and mentorship for the young Nigerian entrepreneur,” the minister
said, adding that the Federal Ministry of Youth Development has played an
active role supporting the progress of the entrepreneurial initiative.
The Minister also commended the business
leaders present, thanking them for investing their time and expertise on young
Nigerians.
“Mentors, including Dr. Mairo Mandara
(Country Representative, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation), Bankole Cardoso
(MD EasyTaxi Nigeria) and Hakeem Shagaya (CEO, KAMROD Prefabrication), also
lauded the innovativeness of Mara Mentor One-on-One sessions, encouraging young
entrepreneurs to pursue their entrepreneurial ambitions and take advantage of
the unique business mentorship opportunity it offers.
A cross section of mentees at the event |
Following the success of the event, Hetal
Shah, Head of Operations, Mara, assured participants Mara will facilitate
mentor-mentee relationship during the six-month mentorship period and also
provide the mentees with further support during and after the programme,”
Imaralu said.
Chukwudi
info@sucoconsulting.com, 08030902410, www.facebook.com/chukwudi obi.33, @sonsnid741,
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