Access Bank, in its bid to empower youth, has provided finance and mentorship to 400 Youth Corp members with a view to making them self-reliant and employment creators.

The bank has empowered over 400 National Youth Service Corps members (NYSC) with exceptional ideas, across the country, with over N240 million in seed capital.

The bank made this known at its NYSC Accessprenuer competition held in Lagos. The programme, which was in partnership with the NYSC also held simultaneously in Kaduna, Anambra, Abuja and Niger, with the star winners receiving N1 million each.

Speaking, the Access Bank Regional Manager Lagos, Olukemi Olayinka, said, “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 seven editions of Accessprenuer competition, impacting over 400 corps members with over N240 million seed capital.”

She said that we have also created a Facebook community for all Accessprenuer winners to be able to interact freely amongst themselves and inspire other young people with similar aspirations. The Facebook community has about 6,000 members.”

Represented by the branch manager of Access bank, Ikotun, Omowunmi Falade, added: “The participants are happy and it is good to be a winner. And when you listen to their pitch presentation, it was wonderful because you know that most of them have innovative solutions or business solutions that will impact the economy positively.

“We know that the youths are the future and the hope of our nation, so it is beautiful to be in their presence and listen to all their peach presentations.”

Beneficiaries of the Accessprenuer competition expressed profound gratitude to the Bank for the financial support as this will enable them to contribute to the development of the economy through job creation for other youths.