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Banking & Finance

Last Updated  Monday, June 9, 2008

Youths besiege Ecobank branches to register for entrepreneur TV series
 

Ecobank branches nationwide are experiencing huge patronage from prospective participants in the reality TV Series—The Entrepreneur. Unveiled a fortnight ago, The Entrepreneur is a TV series designed to give Nigerians with small businesses or business ideas the chance to grow such businesses through free funding. The program will offer at least 60 people the opportunity of accessing up to N1million by convincing a panel of four with their ideas.
Feeler from the bank suggests that the hope of being one of the winners of the price money coupled with the excitement of participating in the reality TV show could be responsible for the rush.
Responding to media questions, the bank’s Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications, Mrs. Yemi Wilde-Halim also suggest that the fact that several winners are likely to emerge could also be attributable for the rush. According to her, the reality show sponsored by the bank in association with Vitamalt is design in such a way to have most of the selected participants’ as winners, in as much as they have convincing business idea. This she said is unlike other reality shows that encourage the “winner takes all” phenomenon.
Mrs. Wilde-Halim explained that, the Growing Business Foundation (GBF) and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency (SMEDAN) were brought into the process to ensure that only people with doable business ideas are selected at the auditioning stage.
The Entrepreneur TV series packaged by Inspire Media Production Company is a platform designed to invest in innovative social enterprise that will help all the micro entrepreneurs to achieve a positive impact, empowering small businesses and alleviating poverty.
According to Goke Dokun, Executive Director of Inspire Media, candidates selected at the auditioning stage will have to face a panel which consists of 4 people namely the Chairman, The Adviser, The Banker and The Business Angel. The panel will scrutinize each candidate’s idea, for relevance and content. The auditioning will be held in Kano , Aba and Lagos .
Ecobank Nig Plc, the Pan African Bank which has in the last few years has been known for supporting youth development initiatives, like the Idols musical talent hunt show, is the main sponsor of the series, while Vitamalt Plc, the world’s favorite malt drink is the co-sponsors.

 


©2005 New Nigerian Newspapers Limited.