Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has empowered 8,300 youths with N3.5 billion in business grants under his administration's flagship digital enterprise initiative, One-Youth-Two-Skills Plus.
The beneficiaries, drawn from within and outside Anambra, received the funds during their graduation and certification ceremony at the International Convention Centre, Awka. Soludo noted that the scheme, launched in October 2022, is designed to equip young entrepreneurs with dual skillsets and capital support, in line with his promise to produce 1,000 new millionaires yearly.
To sustain the programme, the governor disclosed that the Anambra Small Business Agency (ASBA) has been mandated to provide loan facilities for interested participants to scale their ventures.
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State Commissioner for Youth Development, Patrick Aghamba, described the initiative as a life-changing intervention that is already transforming the business landscape of the state. Chairman of the scheme, Prof. Chinedu Onyeizugbe, revealed that participation grew by 48% this year, recommending the model for wider adoption.
The first cohort in 2023 empowered 5,000 youths with N2 billion, many of whom now run successful ventures and employ others. Beneficiaries testified that the grants and digital training have helped them transition from job seekers to job creators.
Aside from the One-Youth-Two-Skills scheme, the state also runs Code Anambra for ICT skills, and the One Million Digital Tribe project, both designed to accelerate digital entrepreneurship and innovation-driven enterprises.
