Enterprise Bank launches SME Product for young graduates
Called Enterprise Graduate Empowerment Scheme (EGES), the product which was inspired by a personal experience the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the bank, Mallam Ahmed Kuru, had in an encounter with a bright but unemployed young graduate, “is designed to bridge the gap that exists between the innovative entrepreneurial ideas of young school leavers and access to the right financial support to transform these ideas into concrete money making enterprises.”
According to a statement from the bank, such
candidates who must be university or polytechnic graduates of not more than
three years prior to the time of application are to apply through the bank’s
website for a pre-qualification exercise. Those candidates who meet with the
criteria will now be invited, taken through an intensive business appreciation programme,
where they will learn practical book keeping,
market intelligence, human resource management, conceptualization and implementation
of business proposals among others. At the end of the programme, a test will be
administered to select those that will participate in the Enterprise Graduate
Empowerment Scheme.
Speaking during the launch recently in Lagos,
the Managing Director/CEO stated that EGES is in line with both the Federal
Government transformation agenda and that of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on
growth towards promoting the Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) sector of
the economy.
Mallam Kuru said that EGES is also meant to
access the relatively unbanked sector of the economy by altering the negative
mindset of the public that Nigerian banks do not support new and growing
businesses.
Yetunde Dehinbo, a graduate of Industrial
Chemistry from the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye and a participant in
the programme, lauded the scheme, adding that “it is for people like me who
really do not want to work for anybody.” She said: “…from day one, I have always
known that I want to have my own business but there is no money to give
expression to the business ideas that I have. I am currently into trading but
will require assistance like EGES to take it to the next level.”
Olorunfemi Oluwasanmi Silas, who has just
finished his National Youth Service is an Information and Communication Science
graduate from the University of Ilorin, Ilorin. His desire is to go into the laundry
or ICT business. As a fresh graduate with practically no experience, he stated
that EGES will be very key in helping young school leavers to find their rhythm
quickly. He however said, “…you should not just give me money and leave me. Just
like the scheme has promised, the bank should be able to provide me with a lot
of guidance to help me stabilize”
IGWE U. IGWE
Head, Corporate Communications
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