Cross River State Governor, Bassey Otu, through the state Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA), in collaboration with the Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Digital and Creative Economy, has trained over 100 individuals in creative skills.
Out of these, 10 beneficiaries received N500,000 each in grants to boost their businesses.
The beneficiaries, who graduated from the first cohort of the Creative Accelerator Program, specialized in fashion and styling, content creation, and photography.
The graduation ceremony, held at the Prof. Eyo Ita Entrepreneur Development Centre in Calabar, featured a competitive pitching session where 10 participants emerged as grant winners.
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Special Assistant to the President on Creative and Digital Economy, Fegho Umunubo, advised beneficiaries to remain disciplined, urging them to reinvest the grants into their businesses rather than personal expenses. He assured that monitoring measures were in place to ensure proper fund utilization.
Director General of Cross River MEDA, Great Ogban, highlighted that while only 10 participants secured grants, all 100 trainees would have access to financial support for business growth under the governor's initiative. He also confirmed plans to extend the training across the state's three senatorial districts.
The event featured a fashion show, photography slideshow, drama performances, and certificate presentations.
