NGO sets up multi-million naira businesses for over 100 Bauchi youths

A non-profit organisation, Leadership Initiative, has trained over 100 youths in various skilled areas and established fully funded businesses in Bauchi State.

The Programme Coordinator of the Initiative, Muhammad Auwal Yakubu made this known at the official handing over of the starter packs for the 2023 beneficiaries on Wednesday.

He said that the organisation is establishing young business owners to become community leaders and impact others through their skills.

Parts of the items given to business owners were complete fashion design equipment –including a power generator set, industrial machine, furniture and other items needed.

“We have caterers, hairdressers, mechanical engineers, phone repairers, horticulturists, plumbers, make-up artists, vulcanisers, aluminum fabricators, welders, barbers, provisions store and others. We have provided virtually all their equipment for free.”

Auwal said that the beneficiaries were selected and trained in their various business areas earlier in the year, the Initiative had asked them on what is needed to start their dream businesses and purchased the items and paid for shops. He said that the organisation has signed a contractual agreement of 5 years with the beneficiaries.

“The agreement is that all the equipment will be maintained by the Initiative. They use them to impact their lives and other people around them. They are not allowed to sell or destroy them. After five years everything becomes theirs.

“We have different segments of our intervention: business creation and business expansion. For business creation we have about 100, for business expansion, our number is clocking 500. Put together –both business creation and expansion we have over 1,000 businesses we have impacted since 2009,” he said.

Auwal added that Leadership Initiative is been sponsored by its Headquarters in the Washington DC, United States of America.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke said that the organisation had selected them for the programme without knowing anyone from the Initiative. “They have warned us not to pay anything whatsoever to any of the staff. They have given us all what is needed in our businesses. This is unbelievable. Initially, we thought it was a thing of a joke but this is huge.

“Anytime we go for training we receive transport allowance and feeding. We were given all these items for free. They even paid for our shops at our preferred location. Set up and furnished the shops. To be honest, to do this by myself, it will take me years of savings,” Rukaya, a beneficiary said.