READ THIS..........

THAT IS, IF YOU REALLY NEED FUNDS TO START UP YOUR BUSINESS OR STRENGTHEN IT...........

One main problem facing many Nigerian young entrepreneurs is the issue of lack of fund. Although recently many public and private sectors have started making support for these young entrepreneurs, in order to build their capacity and access funds for their business ideas. If you are one of these young entrepreneurs in need of fund, why not try to access funds from one of the following programs to boost your business.            

Dangote’s  BOI N5bn Fund for Small Businesses

Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote recently partnered with the Nigeria’s Bank of Industry (BOI) to set up a N5 billion small and medium business scale to grant low interest loans to entrepreneurs and small businesses in Nigeria. The fund is targeted at development of MSMEs across the nation with loans attracting only a 5 percent interest rate and a focused Bottom of the Pyramid Scheme to deepen access to the fund by entrepreneurs and micro enterprises. According to the Nigerian industrialist, “the funds are expected to impact directly on up to 13,000 registered groups in the country. Each group shall have an average of 20 entrepreneurs, this impacting the lives of up to 250,000 micro-entrepreneurs through job creation, spreading across all six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.”

Shell LiveWIRE

Since its inception in 2003, Shell LiveWIRE Nigeria has provided 2,748 young people with funding to start and grow their businesses, according to information on its website. This year, fifty young entrepreneurs from Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta States were awarded funding of N300, 000 by Shell LiveWIRE Nigeria to enable them to start up, or grow, their own businesses.

Business Fund for Women

This is another entrepreneurship support program under Nigeria’s Bank of Industry. It is worth N90 million, it is known as Business Development Fund for Women (BUDFOW), which focuses on women in business. Set up on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development (FMWASD), it provides soft loans to women entrepreneurs. So if you’re a young female entrepreneur why not access this funding opportunity?

YouWin!

The objective of the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria, (YouWiN!) Programme is to generate jobs by encouraging and supporting aspiring entrepreneurial youth in Nigeria. The program was set up to develop and execute business ideas of young Nigerians that will create jobs. It also provides aspiring youth with a platform to show case their business acumen, skills and aspirations to business leaders, investors and mentors in Nigeria.

Tony Elumelu Foundation’s $100m Entrepreneurship Fund

On the 1st of December 2014, Nigerian businessman Tony Elumelu announced the launch of a $100m Pan-African entrepreneurship initiative – The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme – a multi-year programme of training, funding, and mentoring, designed to empower the next generation of African entrepreneurs. “I am determined to ensure that Africa’s next generations of entrepreneurs have the platform they need to turn their entrepreneurial aspirations into sustainable businesses that will drive economic growth and job creation across Africa,” says Tony Elumelu. It is said to be the first of its kind.

The listed funding programs are by no means an exhaustive list of financial support programs in Nigeria’s entrepreneurship space. There are programs like Mara Mentor, an online entrepreneurship community that connects young aspiring entrepreneurs and business owners to leading entrepreneurs also helps bridge the gap knowledge and expertise needed to run sustainable businesses.