Osinbajo @ 64: Group launches initiative to honour health workers, empower entrepreneurs
- A group has concluded plans to honour health workers in the country
- The group will also be empowering entrepreneurs with various business ideas across the country
- The initiatives are lined up by friends of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to honour him on his 64th birthday
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A group comprising friends and associates of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo under the aegis of “Friends of Prof,” has announced the commencement of the 2021 edition of its empowerment programme with an expansion in the scope of the programme.
Legit.ng gathered that the group is building on the success recorded in last year's event and also in honour of VP Osinbajo’s 64th birthday.
The group disclosed this in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Saturday, March 6 while calling on young Nigerians to leverage the opportunity created by it.
It will be recalled that as part of events lined up for Professor Osinbajo's 63rd birthday, 100 young entrepreneurs received grants of N1 million each to help grow and advance their businesses, among other incubator support services from the group.
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Part of the statement read:
“The March 8th Initiative” is expanding its reach and scope with a view to imparting a broader spectrum of Nigerians.
“First, the Annual Entrepreneurship Development Programme has been reorganised into 4 categories providing more opportunities for young Nigerians between 18 and 35 years old, giving one-off business grants, ranging from N100,000 to N1,000,000 to small businesses in Nigeria.
“The four categories cover varying stages of small business growth as follows: Big idea business challenge, business support challenge, catalyst support challenge and the bold innovation challenge.”
The statement further noted that the initiative will recognise health workers nationwide who, it said in the face of a global pandemic, demonstrated exemplary courage, compassion, diligence, hard work and professionalism in carrying out their duties.
A reward of N1million under a Health Grant Reward Category if the majority of the respondents nominate any health worker who has distinguished him or herself
The initiative also involves undertaking a nationwide Ophthalmological intervention to provide succour in the form of surgeries and other therapeutic care for cataract and other eye defects.
The group has also lined up other activities at different locations across the country, including an empowerment scheme for the poor and vulnerable, as well as the flag-off of 4 borehole projects in Lafia, Nasarawa state on Monday 8 March, all in honour of Osinbajo at 64.
In a related development, a pan-Nigerian coalition, the Building the Future Forum is set to honour Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, with a special public lecture in commemoration of his 64th birthday on Monday, March 8.
Legit.ng gathered that the public lecture will be delivered by respected economist and managing director of Financial Derivatives, Mr Bismarck Rewane.
The event which will be held at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja, via zoom and other online platforms is titled: “Building the Future of Nigeria through Enterprise and Innovation.”
Recall that the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN, on Wednesday, March 3, conferred on VP Osinbajo, a special award of the ‘Defender of Faith’.
The award was conferred on VP Osinbajo at the 16th Biennial Delegate Conference of the PFN held at the Michael Okpara Square in Enugu state.
Jerrywright Ukwu is a senior political/defence correspondent at Legit.ng based in Abuja. He is a graduate of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos and the International Institute of Journalism in Abuja. He is also an active member of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. He spends his leisure-time reading history books.
Source: Legit.ng