Young entrepreneurs to get N20m in Next Titans season nine

As part of efforts to reduce unemployment in the country, the Next Titan has announced its season nine for young entrepreneurs seeking to demonstrate their entrepreneurial acumen with business ideas and commercial insight.

Speaking at a press conference in Lagos, the Executive Producer, The Next Titan, Mide Akinlaja, said the initiative is aimed at practically engineering entrepreneurship among Nigerian youths through identifying the best business minds and supporting their entrepreneurial acumen through logistical assistance, informal training, knowledge and other requisite services needed to propel them into successful personalities.

He said the show not only celebrates some of the nation’s best entrepreneurial ideas, but also makes an attempt to provide a launch pad for the most deserving entrepreneurs.

According to Akinlaja, people with ideas would bid and fight for their dreams as a way of encouraging young unemployed graduates to take their destinies in their hands by using their talents to build valves.

He said the audition for this year’s edition would commence in August, 2022 at Port Harcourt, Abuja, Enugu and Lagos before leading to Top 50 Boot camp, after which 18 finalists who would live together for 10 weeks would battle one another over tough business tasks for a grand prize of N20 million and the runner-up having N5 million.

“The contestants will have very real street smarts to make it through the challenges, and will prove their entrepreneurial acumen through various business-challenges on the 10-week show.

“The Next Titan’s importance lies in igniting entrepreneurial spirit and showcasing the possibility of entrepreneurship in transforming lives with just an idea that can be scaled to greatness with a market and Nigeria’s population. The Show scouts for young talented people who have entrepreneurial acumens, groom them through rigorous tasks boardrooms process, mentorship, and eventually funding a winner’s idea leading to an opportunity to create jobs for themselves and others is indeed a big contributor to the socio-economic development of our country,” Akinlaja said.

Akinlaja stated that the previous winners were doing great in their businesses and now employers of labour – creating jobs for other graduates.

He noted that they had also launched their respective businesses, which cut across different sectors, adding that most of the participants who did not win had converted their lessons on the show into sustainable businesses.

Akinlaja stated that a number of the previous winners and participants had won the Forbes under 30 Entrepreneurs in Africa in different times, while some have enjoyed nominations.

The Group Head, Corporate Communications, SIFAX Group, Muyiwa Akande, said investing in the youth and promoting entrepreneurship were vital for economic development.

He said the political scene in the country today is because the youths have woken up to demand accountability for the country’s development, adding that SIFAX would continue to support companies interested in promoting the growth of youths and young entrepreneurs for the future of the country.