The
final winners of the Youwin connect academy are getting agitated and some are
already calling on their counterparts across the nation for a nationwide media
campaign against the federal government if the planned funding promised by the
federal government is not done.
The
You win connect academy is a continuation of the youwin connect programme
started by the government of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, aimed at empowering
youths financially to start up their businesses in other to reduce unemployment
in the country.
The
programme under the former administration saw thousands of youths empowered to
start up various businesses. Our correspondent who interviewed some of the
participants observed that they are already getting agitated with what their
facilitators at the various 25 training centres across the nation are telling
them. It is best assumed that the facilitators don’t know what they are saying,
but if their voice is really the heart of the ministry of finance led by Kemi
Adeosun then FG has 5,000 angry youths to contend with before the 2019 general
elections.
Hundreds
of thousands of youths earlier applied for the youwin connect programme after a
nationwide sensitization encouraging youths to apply as the government was
ready and willing to give as much as 10,000,000 to each winner to finance their
businesses. After the rigorous application process, about 55,000 where selected
to go through the online training and accessment, after which about 50,000
where disqualified based on scores and performance. The remaining 5,000 who
were sent congratulatory messages and asked to go for face to face trainings
before funding are now having their hopes dashed.
One of
the state facilitators reportedly told the participants ‘no money oh’, another
adviced the participants to use the certificates they have been issued to gain
funding for their businesses, things remain quite unclear as the participants
presently don’t know their fate after spending so much for the different levels
of the competition. They are calling on the federal ministry of finance to
clear the air and do the needful, rather than deviating from the original
vision of the programme. Below is a communique issued by the participants of
the programme in one of the training centres as obtained by Olika Reporters;
A
COMMUNIQUÉ ISSUED BY THE PARTICIPANTS OF THE YOUWIN CONNECT ACADEMY (MASTER
CLASS) AT THE END OF THE FACE TO FACE TRAINING HELD AT THE LABOUR HALL, NIGERIA
LABOUR CONGRESS, ASABA, DELTA STATE .
Participants
bring to the notice of the Federal government of Nigeria, the Federal Ministry
of Finance, Stake Holders of the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in
Nigeria(YouWIN) connect programme, all concerned Nigerians who are passionate
about the development of young entrepreneurs and youth in Nigeria, and the
general public that:
(i)
As part of the ongoing YouWIN connect capacity building programme, an in-class
sector specific training tagged ‘YouWIN Connect Academy’ held in Labour House,
Asaba, Delta state from Wednesday 14th March to Friday, 16th March, 2018.
(ii)
250 persons were invited via emails and SMS from various towns, cities and
communities of Edo and Delta States of which 245 persons were in attendance.
(iii)
Participants at Asaba YouWIN Connect Academy make a small percentage of the
5000 National, Regional and State winners who had been chosen from over 61,000
persons who partook in the online training and are receiving training scheduled
to take place in 25 locations across the six geopolitical zones for 3 days
each. It was a face to face training that was delivered by J.K. Consulting Co.
Ltd which builds on what participants previously learnt during the online
training and will hopefully increase participants’ chances of succeeding as
business owners.
(iv)
Participants received trainings targeted at specific sectors of Information and
Communication Technology, Fashion, Agriculture/ Agro- processing,
Manufacturing, and construction with Business Model Canvass (BMC), Cluster
specific BMC and Business Plan, as courses taken and were given Certificates at
the end.
(v)
Participants commend the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Finance
and all stake holders of the YouWIN connect programme for the brilliant
initiative targeted at empowering young entrepreneurs of our dear country
Nigeria.
(vi)
Participants commend all resource persons used for all the trainings in all
locations across the 6 geo political zones of the country, especially J.K.
Consulting Co. Ltd who anchored the programme at the Asaba venue.
(vii)
Participants also commend the various Government officials especially the
representative of the YouWIN connect programme Mr. Yemi Bello who took out time
to visit and ensure the smooth running of the programme and responded to the
questions raised at the interactive sessions.
(viii)
Participants also highly commend all trainees who partook in the training for
their high level of commitment, good conduct and active participation that led
to the success of the 3–day training, all of whom solely bore the cost of
transportation, hotel accommodation and other logistics on their own.
(ix)
Participants observe with serious concern that the YouWIN connect programme had
gone through different sequential stages of awareness, campaign to
registration, application, selection, online training and face to face
training, with promises that:
a)
All successful participants will receive certification on completion of the
training and will be required to submit a business plan for areas where their
businesses require improvements.
b)
All successfully funded businesses (start-up/existing) will receive a 1 year
business development support (this includes introducing businesses to DFIs for
further funding)
(x)
Participants observe that at the various stages of the application, selection
and online training, several persons were dropped based on merit. Participants
also observe with disdain that there hasn’t been a scheduled time table for the
YouWIN connect programme.
(xi)
Participants note with interest that at the awareness campaign held in various
locations especially in Labour House, Asaba, Delta state and Elora Hotel, Benin
City Edo state in July 2017, they were told that they could access as much as
₦10,000,000 to ₦25,000,000 for their individual businesses.
(xii)
Participants bring to the remembrance of the government that the present
successful 5000 winners who took/are taking part in the ongoing face to face
training across the country were chosen from about 61,000 persons who took the
Youwin LMS online training sessions and scored very high marks.
(xiii)
Participants also note that the 5,000 successful participants were tagged
WINNERS based on National, Regional and State merit.
(xiv)
Participants note that all who attended the training came with the same mind
that they had scaled the hurdles of competition and are to be beneficiaries of
the Federal Government Funding for their individual businesses.
(xv)
Participants also bring to the notice of the government and the general public
that FUNDING is a major SETBACK for young entrepreneurs partaking in this
programme.
(xvi)
Participants were informed by the YouWIN connect Representative that only ₦2.5
billion was set aside for series funding. Little as this may be, participants
are shocked that the said sum of money will be open to all, including those who
never partook in the YouWIN connect process, from the beginning, connoting that
very few participants’ businesses if any will be funded. Not to mention the
information we came to be aware of, that little or no preference will be given
to 5,000 acclaimed Winners.
(xvii)
Participants observe with concern that it is quite disheartening, discouraging
and highly deceptive to have made 5000 acclaimed Winners to leave their homes,
families, businesses, solely bearing the cost of transportation, hotel
accommodation and logistics for mere training and certification.
One may ask what then have been won by the National, Regional and State acclaimed Winners? What is going to be the benefit of all the sacrifices made so far? Of what benefit is business knowledge without capital to execute?
One may ask what then have been won by the National, Regional and State acclaimed Winners? What is going to be the benefit of all the sacrifices made so far? Of what benefit is business knowledge without capital to execute?
(xviii)
Participants wish to remind the government that the Youwin connect programme
can take the lead in empowering young entrepreneurs to plan, start and grow
their businesses and become business moguls who will impart positively on the
economy of Nigeria in the nearest future. This would lead to creation of jobs
and decline in the high unemployment rate of our dear country.
(xix)
Participants wish to state confidently that no investment in young
entrepreneurs will be too much as the massive positive impact cannot be
overemphasized.
(xx)
Participants use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to make enough
FUNDS available to the 5,000 National, Regional and State Winners who
participated in the YouWIN connect academy in all locations of the training in
Nigeria, as soon as their business plans are submitted.
Doing otherwise may mean that government has no confidence in the quality of trainings (online and face to face) they offered to participants and this could be interpreted as manipulation and Oppression of young entrepreneurs. The government should note that even if a percentage of the 5,000 acclaimed WINNERS end up successful, the YouWIN connect programme will still be considered a huge success.
Doing otherwise may mean that government has no confidence in the quality of trainings (online and face to face) they offered to participants and this could be interpreted as manipulation and Oppression of young entrepreneurs. The government should note that even if a percentage of the 5,000 acclaimed WINNERS end up successful, the YouWIN connect programme will still be considered a huge success.
(xxi)
Participants wish to state that if funds are given to all the 5000 acclaimed
winners, who have workable business plans, a level playing ground would be
created for all to perform. All these young entrepreneurs could become the
future Dangotes, Otedolas, Elumelus, etc and many other big names in business
in Nigeria today.
(xxii)
Participants strongly support the idea of grants or equity funding for the
sustainability of the YouWIN connect programme and ask for close monitoring for
all would be recipients of the proposed funds.
(xxiii)
As earlier stated, participants re – emphasize that they believe in the YouWIN
connect programme to take the lead in empowering Young Nigerian entrepreneurs
as done by other organizations like Shell LiveWire, Tony Elumelu Foundation who
still fund young entrepreneurs till date.
Signed
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