By LYDIA NGWAKWE

Access Bank Plc, through its Accesspreneur programme has empowered 20 National Youth Service Corps members (NYSC) with exceptional ideas, across the country, with N30 million grant.

The Group Head, Consumer Banking, Access Bank Plc, Adaeze Umeh, said this in a statement on Thursday, during the NYSC, Access Bank Accessprenuer competition held in Abuja.

The programme which was in partnership with the NYSC, got winners with entrepreneurial ideas from Abuja, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Oyo and Rivers States, with the star winners receiving N1 million each.

“Access Bank has been in a strategic partnership with NYSC since 2016. The relationship further evolved into the launch of Accessprenuer: The NYSC edition in February 2021.

“So far, we have completed six editions of Accessprenuer competition, impacting over 390 corps members with over N165 million seed capital.

“We have also created a Facebook community for all Accessprenuer winners to be able to interact freely among themselves and inspire other young people with similar aspirations.

“The Facebook community has about 5,000 members,” Umeh said.

Some of the beneficiaries of the Accessprenuer competition expressed profound gratitude to the bank for the financial support, adding that it will go a long way to helping them achieve their dreams.

Laura Momodu, Abuja star-prize winner who is a fashion designer, thanked the bank for the gesture.

She said, “I thank Access Bank. I didn’t expect to win because fashion designing is something that everybody does.

”I want to say that I do not take this for granted and you will definitely see my name on televisions and billboards.”

Vivian Charles, the first runner-up, who was awarded with N750,000 for her ideas on healthy spices used for meals, also expressed appreciation to the bank.

“I say a very big thank you to Access Bank; Access Bank has been able to help me achieve my dream in no small way. This is huge; this is massive to my business and will actually help me push forward.

“I pray that utilising this cash for what it is actually meant for. My business will not just grow but be heard across the globe,” she said.

The bank also rewarded other corps members in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth to 10th positions with N400,000, N250,000, N150,000, and N100,000 respectively.(NAN)

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