The Center for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) has awarded ₦250,000 grants to eight young entrepreneurs to support the growth of their businesses. The recipients were selected from 70 participants who showcased their business ideas during the Youth Sustainable Enterprise Challenge, with the most outstanding proposals earning the grants.
At the closing ceremony and final pitch presentation on Thursday, CITAD’s Executive Director, Yunusa Ya’u, represented by Community Network Coordinator Adamu Hadeja, highlighted the initiative’s goal of equipping participants with entrepreneurial and digital skills. Supported by the British Council through the King’s Trust, the eight-week training program aimed to foster innovation and prepare young entrepreneurs for success.
CITAD Senior Program Officer Isa Garba noted that the training covered various aspects of entrepreneurship, culminating in a business pitch competition judged by a panel. The top eight participants were awarded grants to start or scale their businesses.
Garba also revealed that 74 participants completed the training, with follow-up plans to provide mentorship and monitor the impact of the grants. A similar initiative previously trained 60 youths in Kano under the same project.
Grant recipients expressed gratitude for the opportunity. Haruna Ibrahim pledged to utilize the support to grow his business, while Khadijah Muhammad vowed to leverage the funding and knowledge to advance her entrepreneurial journey.
The initiative underscores CITAD’s commitment to fostering youth innovation and building a sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem in Nigeria.
