By Dipo Olowookere
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Heritage Bank, Mr Ifie Sekibo, has restated commitment of the lender to support members of the National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) and young entrepreneurs grow their businesses as a start-up or prospective business owners.
This, he said, is in line with the culture of the financial institution as a timeless wealth partners.
According to him, the bank is currently in partnership with Guardians of the Nation International (GOTNI), a capacity building organisation to present leadership programs in all the NYSC Orientation camps in the 36 states.
Speaking at the weekend during the Leadership Development Programme for corps member organised by GOTNI, Mr Sekibo explained that the partnership was a demonstration of Heritage Bank’s commitment to using financial inclusion to boost entrepreneurship development, which is critical to our mission to create, preserve and transfer wealth across generations.
He explained that Heritage Bank’s various entrepreneur schemes in the support for business had always focused on dependable job-creating sectors, such as agricultural value chain (fish farming, poultry, snail farming), cottage industry, mining and solid minerals, creative industry (tourism, arts and crafts), and Information and Communications Technology (ICT).
Mr Sekibo restated that the aim of Heritage Bank being in the forefront of youth empowerment is to emancipate the latent entrepreneurial spirit in the teeming youths.
“At Heritage, nothing else is more fulfilling than to groom-to-empower young aspiring start-up entrepreneurs, as we mentor them to grow and become large corporates enlisted on the Nigerian Stock Exchange.
“In recent times, we have worked with NYSC and the Central Bank of Nigeria to support youth Corp members and young entrepreneurs to grow their businesses as a start-up or prospective business owners,” the bank’s chief said.
“As a timeless wealth partner, we are here today to support you in your endeavours and empower and hold you, hand-in-hand, thereby providing timely quality business support services for promising and better future after your service year,” he added.
Mr Sekibo commended the corps members for their willingness to obey the clarion call to serve their nation, whilst urging them to serve and put the Nation first in all, with service and humility, in order to make Nigeria great again.
Meanwhile, he reiterated that the bank had continued to make efforts to lead the recovery of the Nigerian economy through championing several empowerment schemes like Youth Innovative Entrepreneurship Development Programme (YIEDP), Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL) on Young Entrepreneurship Business Training Programme (YEBTP), Young Entrepreneurs and Students (YES) Grant and Nigerian Youth Professional Forum (NYPF), amongst others.
Adedapo Adesanya