Diamond Bank Plc has set the stage for the selection, training and empowerment of 50 more entrepreneurs in the seventh edition of its Building Entrepreneurs Today (BET) initiative.
This initiative, which is in partnership with the Enterprise Development Center of the Pan Atlantic University, is at the core of the bank’s corporate social responsibility strategy, and is aimed at creating a new generation of entrepreneurs who will not be overwhelmed by the challenges posed by the harsh operating business environment but will, with the training and seed capital from the bank, provide the needed value to the economy.
This year’s edition with the theme: Innovation and Social Impact, is focused on entrepreneurs in all sectors of the economy with entries expected from all the geographical zones in Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference to kick-start the 7thedition of BET initiative, Chioma Afe, Head, Corporate Communications of the bank, said the programme is in line with the bank’s strategic quest to ensure that entrepreneurs in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) are properly trained, equipped with up-to-date business knowledge and given enough capital to effectively play in the economy.
She stated that the 50 entrepreneurs that would be selected for the six months entrepreneurial training programme would be those whose businesses have the potential to stimulate sustainable economic growth and development in Nigeria. At the end of the training programme, seed capital of N3 million is given to the best five businesses, Afe said.