Life Continental Lager Beer, a brand of beverage from the stables of Nigerian Breweries PLC has increased the number of promoters of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in the South Eastern part of Nigeria who benefited from the ongoing “Life Continental Beer Progress Booster Radio Project” to 36.
The brand, on Friday, shared out additional N3 million to the third set of 12 winners whose proposals were considered outstanding amongst the numerous received during the month.
Addressing the successful budding entrepreneurs at the Cheque and Certificate presentation held at Ama Brewery of NB PLC, Enugu; Mr. Olalekan Okubanjo, the Packaging Manager urged the winners to stay focused on their goals and to invest wisely in their chosen ventures.
He assured them that the brand will not abandon them in their endeavour to move their enterprises to the next level. His words: “The panel of experts that assessed and judged your business proposals will monitor your progress. They will be there to mentor and provide valuable advice, when necessary”.
Depending on their performance afterwards, Okubanjo disclosed that there is still an opportunity for the winners to win an additional N250,000 only ‘if your business venture is adjudged to have progressed to the next level in the next few months’.
The winners and their proposals include Joy Ogbanigo (Healthy Vegetable Drink Production; Innocent Onyeukwu (Opening of a Butcher’s Shop); Felicia Emeh (Food Canteen Expansion); Augustine Okoli (Household & Furniture Welder); Tuvia Kings Enterprises (Creative Fashion Designer and Prints); and Chijindu James (Automatic Wireless Change Over).
Others are: Eusebius Owusi (Cold Room Business Expansion); Nwaenyi White Nelson (Computer Training Centre Establishment); Stella Okechukwu (Hair Dressing Salon Establishment); Ebube Jediho (Cassava Planting and Production); Ezo Ukwuora Benjamin (Transparent Bar Soap Production); and Anyachukwu Donatus (Food Condiments Processing).
He therefore advised other young entrepreneurs who have not participated in the campaign to take decisive steps towards that as the brands has 24 slots left. He stated that the project aims to empower budding entrepreneurs who have sound and workable business ideas. He added that business promoters, who must be 18 years old at least, must hail from and must be living in the South East to qualify to participate.
According to Okubanjo, Life Continental Beer understands that the passion to succeed is the driving spirit of the Igbo people and we are part of that story of progress. His words: “Life Progress Booster Radio show is a celebration of the essential Igbo spirit of industry, will to succeed, enterprise and passion in the world of business. This project is, no doubt, a reinforcement of the heritage embedded in the Life Continental Lager Beer, its essence, connection and affinity with the people and heritage of South East”.
Excited by the grant, Okechukwu, who for the past 6 years have partnered with another person to work in Onitsha, said she will use the money to open her own shop where she will independently operate. She disclosed that for long she had been looking for booster f und like this but to no avail.
Similarly, Donatus said the grant will definitely and positively impact on his food condiments business. He assured that the money will be injected into the business for expansion as his team had hitherto found it difficult to widen the scope of operation before now.
