Participants bring to the notice of the Federal government of Nigeria, the Federal Ministry of Finance, Stake Holders of the Youth Enterprise with Innovation in Nigeria(YouWIN) connect programme, all concerned Nigerians who are passionate about the development of young entrepreneurs and youth in Nigeria,
and the general public that:
(i) As part of the ongoing YouWIN connect capacity building programme, an in-class sector specific training tagged 'YouWIN Connect Academy' held in Labour House, Asaba, Delta state from Wednesday 14th March to Friday, 16th March, 2018.
(ii) 250 persons were invited via emails and SMS from various towns, cities and communities of Edo and Delta States of which 245 persons were in attendance.
(iii) Participants at Asaba YouWIN Connect Academy make a small percentage of the 5000 National, Regional and State winners who had been chosen from over 61,000 persons who partook in the online training and are receiving training scheduled to take place in 25 locations across the six geopolitical zones for 3 days each. It was a face to face training that was delivered by J.K. Consulting Co. Ltd which builds on what participants previously learnt during the online training and will hopefully increase participants’ chances of succeeding as business owners.
(iv) Participants received trainings targeted at specific sectors of Information and Communication Technology, Fashion, Agriculture/ Agro- processing, Manufacturing, and construction with Business Model Canvass (BMC), Cluster specific BMC and Business Plan, as courses taken and were given Certificates at the end.
(v) Participants commend the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Finance and all stake holders of the YouWIN connect programme for the brilliant initiative targeted at empowering young entrepreneurs of our dear country Nigeria.
(vi) Participants commend all resource persons used for all the trainings in all locations across the 6 geo political zones of the country, especially J.K. Consulting Co. Ltd who anchored the programme at the Asaba venue.
(vii) Participants also commend the various Government officials especially the representative of the YouWIN connect programme Mr. Yemi Bello who took out time to visit and ensure the smooth running of the programme and responded to the questions raised at the interactive sessions.
(viii) Participants also highly commend all trainees who partook in the training for their high level of commitment, good conduct and active participation that led to the success of the 3–day training, all of whom solely bore the cost of transportation, hotel accommodation and other logistics on their own.
(ix) Participants observe with serious concern that the YouWIN connect programme had gone through different sequential stages of awareness, campaign to registration, application, selection, online training and face to face training, with promises that:
a) All successful participants will receive certification on completion of the training and will be required to submit a business plan for areas where their businesses require improvements.
b) All successfully funded businesses (start-up/existing) will receive a 1 year business development support (this includes introducing businesses to DFIs for further funding)
(x) Participants observe that at the various stages of the application, selection and online training, several persons were dropped based on merit. Participants also observe with disdain that there hasn't been a scheduled time table for the YouWIN connect programme.
(xi) Participants note with interest that at the awareness campaign held in various locations especially in Labour House, Asaba, Delta state and Elora Hotel, Benin City Edo state in July 2017, they were told that they could access as much as ₦10,000,000 to ₦25,000,000 for their individual businesses.
(xii) Participants bring to the remembrance of the government that the present successful 5000 winners who took/are taking part in the ongoing face to face training across the country were chosen from about 61,000 persons who took the Youwin LMS online training sessions and scored very high marks.
(xiii) Participants also note that the 5,000 successful participants were tagged WINNERS based on National, Regional and State merit.
(xiv) Participants note that all who attended the training came with the same mind that they had scaled the hurdles of competition and are to be beneficiaries of the Federal Government Funding for their individual businesses.
(xv) Participants also bring to the notice of the government and the general public that FUNDING is a major SETBACK for young entrepreneurs partaking in this programme.
(xvi) Participants were informed by the YouWIN connect Representative that only ₦2.5 billion was set aside for series funding. Little as this may be, participants are shocked that the said sum of money will be open to all, including those who never partook in the YouWIN connect process, from the beginning, connoting that very few participants' businesses if any will be funded. Not to mention the information we came to be aware of, that little or no preference will be given to 5,000 acclaimed Winners.
(xvii) Participants observe with concern that it is quite disheartening, discouraging and highly deceptive to have made 5000 acclaimed Winners to leave their homes, families, businesses, solely bearing the cost of transportation, hotel accommodation and logistics for mere training and certification. One may ask what then have been won by the National, Regional and State acclaimed Winners? What is going to be the benefit of all the sacrifices made so far? Of what benefit is business knowledge without capital to execute?
(xviii) Participants wish to remind the government that the Youwin connect programme can take the lead in empowering young entrepreneurs to plan, start and grow their businesses and become business moguls who will impart positively on the economy of Nigeria in the nearest future. This would lead to creation of jobs and decline in the high unemployment rate of our dear country.
(xix) Participants wish to state confidently that no investment in young entrepreneurs will be too much as the massive positive impact cannot be overemphasized.
(xx) Participants use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government to make enough FUNDS available to the 5,000 National, Regional and State Winners who participated in the YouWIN connect academy in all locations of the training in Nigeria, as soon as their business plans are submitted. Doing otherwise may mean that government has no confidence in the quality of trainings (online and face to face) they offered to participants and this could be interpreted as manipulation and Oppression of young entrepreneurs. The government should note that even if a percentage of the 5,000 acclaimed WINNERS end up successful, the YouWIN connect programme will still be considered a huge success.
(xxi) Participants wish to state that if funds are given to all the 5000 acclaimed winners, who have workable business plans, a level playing ground would be created for all to perform. All these young entrepreneurs could become the future Dangotes, Otedolas, Elumelus, etc and many other big names in business in Nigeria today.
(xxii) Participants strongly support the idea of grants or equity funding for the sustainability of the YouWIN connect programme and ask for close monitoring for all would be recipients of the proposed funds.

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