In a bid to promote small-scale businesses and boost entrepreneurs in Nigeria, SUAVE Empire has empowered more than 50 youths in Ibadan at its annual Nigerian Youths and Fashion Empowerment Week, (NYFEW).

NYFEW, an annual rebranded project known as ‘Showdown’, was established in 2013 in Ogun State to advance and contribute meaningfully to the socio-cultural style and growth of talented and intellectual abilities of skilled and professional youths in Nigeria.

Ogunniyi Matthew Kehinde, founder of NYFEW and CEO of SUAVE Empire, said the organisation comprises young and vibrant team whose mission is to promote the development of an environment that optimises the potential of the youths, support, encourage and empower youths to develop their skills and expose youths to ways they can become financially independent with their various skills.

Kehinde said this year’s event, which held from 7th to 12th of October, 2019, saw several youths empowered for seven days in Ibadan.

He said at the end of the empowerment exercise, a platform was provided for the youths to showcase their talents in a ‘Runway Fashion Show’ at the grand finale tagged ‘NYFEW SHOWDOWN’.

Best trainee in each field was given N500,000 worth of items to start up their business and a mentorship training offered to best trainees at SUAVE Empire for three months.

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The Grand finale event tagged ‘Showdown4.0’ featured runway fashion showcase, musical performance, dance and comedy.

The event also showcased beneficiaries of the empowerment exercise, some recognised professionals in all the training fields and important dignitaries in Nigeria.

A total of 28 youths were empowered in 2013, 35 youths in 2016 and a total of 44 youths in 2018.

“The Nigerian Youth Fashion and Empowerment Week is a genuine opportunity to show love and put smiles on the faces of Nigerian youths. We strongly believe that people’s involvement in NYFEW 2019 would be greatly beneficial to the development of youths throughout the whole nation.

“This will also have impact on the level of perception and understanding of socio-cultural value, especially in our Youths,” Kehinde said.

       Ifeoma Okeke

Ifeoma Okeke-Korieocha is the Aviation Correspondent at BusinessDay Media Limited, publishers of BusinessDay Newspapers. She is also the Deputy Editor, BusinessDay Weekender Magazine, the Saturday Weekend edition of BusinessDay. She holds a BSC in Mass Communication from the prestigious University of Nigeria, Nsukka and a Masters degree in Marketing at the University of Lagos. As the lead writer on the aviation desk, Ifeoma is responsible and in charge of the three weekly aviation and travel pages in BusinessDay and BDSunday. She also overseas and edits all pages of BusinessDay Saturday Weekender. She has written various investigative, features and news stories in aviation and business related issues and has been severally nominated for award in the category of Aviation Writer of the Year by the Nigeria Media Nite-Out awards; one of the Nigeria’s most prestigious media awards ceremonies. Ifeoma is a one-time winner of the prestigious Nigeria Media Merit Award under the 'Aviation Writer of the Year' Category. She is the 2025 Eloy Award winner under the Print Media Journalist category. She has undergone several journalism trainings by various prestigious organisations. Ifeoma is also a fellow of the Female Reporters Leadership Fellowship of the Wole Soyinka Centre for Investigative Journalism.

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