Shell Nigeria has released another 120 groomed entrepreneurs with N48 million (N400,000 each) to join 7,077 others already making waves in the private sector to create wealth and employ others. They represent the 2018 batch in Shell’s LiveWIRE scheme that has gone nationwide.
Of the number, seven were singled out as outstanding but one lady was toasted as the most outstanding. She got a brand new laptop from one of the managers. LiveWIRE has grown from strength to strength in the past 16 years and now has fund managers (Grofin) and banks such as UBA and GTB working as partners. It has emerged as one of the strongest job creation and entrepreneurship schemes in Nigeria, though initially dedicated to the Niger Delta.
Most of the graduands are said to be venturing into agric/food processing sub-sector with the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) working with Shell to ensure regulatory standards from the onset.
Over 3,000 LiveWIRE beneficiaries are said to have been supported with seed capital in the past while many more have gone ahead to get other funds from sources such as Grofin and Tony Elumelu Foundation.
According to Shell’s general manager (external relations), Igo Weli, they have reached out to banks to support the scheme, saying the scheme enables young people to start their own businesses and create jobs for themselves and others.
“It provides budding young entrepreneurs with access to the essential business knowledge and customised support they need to transform their enterprising ideas into a viable and sustainable business.”
He said 2018 was an exciting year in enterprise development because in addition to the regional programme, Shell launched a special LiveWIRE programme in Ogbio local Government Area in Bayelsa specifically for Oloibiri where oil was first found in commercial quantity in Nigeria.
He warned the beneficiaries that the road to successful entrepreneurship is seldom smooth but that those who remained determined and focussed always came out great.
Shell presented two global award winners who were previous participants in LiveWIRE as success stories. Bayelsans in the audience hailed as Yolo Bakumo Smith, CEO of De-Rabacon Plastics that recycles used plastics. Hey also unveiled Henry Chukogu of Alternative Energy firm that said he is sought after everywhere for his product. They both appealed to the new batch never to joke with their seed capital.
Various financial experts, entrepreneurs, bankers, and career activists took turns to motivate the young entrepreneurs and urged them to remain on course. Shell said the company was proud of the flagship youth scheme and would not deviate.
