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From Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Abia State Government is partnering with a Foundation, Gavice Foundation to provide business grants to youths in the state.
This was disclosed by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Entertainment and Tourism, Martins Okechukwu Justice (J. Martins), while speaking with newsmen at Government House, Umuahia.
Justice said Governor Otti was building a new Abia state where every youth doing genuine business would be supported to optimize their potentials.
He stated that interested youths are to apply, stressing that applicants who scale through the screening would be announced during a music festival to be held in the State in few months’ time.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Governor who promised that mechanism would be put in place to select only those with sound business ideas, said such arrangement would ensure that no beneficiary squanders his or her grant on frivolities.
He said that the business empowerment is open to graduates and non graduates from Abia who are already doing genuine businesses.
Chief Executive Officer of Gavice Logistics, Ahamba Tochukwu Terence said the scheme was aimed at empowering youths with sound business ideas in growing their businesses as well as making them job creators.
Terence said Gavice Foundation, a branch of Gavice logistics will be providing financial grant to young Abians, code-named Business Empowerment Plan 1.0
He disclosed that the grant which is targeted at Abians between the ages of 15 and 35, is being put together by the logistics company in partnership with office of the Senior Special Assistant to Governor on Tourism and Entertainment, is worth N500,000 each ,for 20 successful beneficiaries.
He said that young Abians with genuine business which are registered with Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) can apply for the program, adding that a a Panel of judges would be assembled to screen the interested applicants.
According to him, the selection would be carried out in the most transparent manner to ensure that anyone with existing business gets the grants.
“It is not just about having a business idea, you must have been in business. You must have registered your business with CAC”.
He charged Abia youths to activate their business ideas by moving from job seekers to job creators even as he made it clear that the empowerment program has no political undertone.
