Humanitarian Activist, Kennedy Iyere has launched a business financing intervention programme to support youth and women entrepreneurs in Africa.

The business financing scheme tagged: ‘FUND-YES’ was launched on Tuesday in Abuja.

The unveiling attracted top business leaders, bankers, Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Executives, Civil Society Organisation (CSO) directors, religious leaders, media, business networks, youth and women groups among others.

Speaking at the event, Iyere, who is also a social entrepreneur stressed the need to create economic and job opportunities for youths and women, stressing that entrepreneurship is the only option out of the current economic circumstances.

He said: “Life is becoming tougher for youths and women in Nigeria with millions of youths roaming the streets frustrated and without hope of a meaningful future ahead of them. Even with their academic degrees, millions of youths have remained unemployed for lack of job opportunities. It is, therefore, not a surprise, that Nigeria’s youths have become more restive, posing security threats beyond the usual. If nothing is done to drastically tackle high youth unemployment in Nigeria, the country will soon hit its point of political collapse when angry youths translate their frustration into a social revolution.”

Iyere affirmed that the Nigerian youths and women are hardworking, and if supported with funds, would turn themselves into successful entrepreneurs.

He added that the need to offer such assistance, is the key factor that inspired and propelled him to establish ‘FUND-YES.’

According to Iyere, the scheme is a joint business financing programme and enterprise development fund for youths and women in need of funding assistance to enable them start up micro or small business, or to scale-up and grow their existing micro and small businesses into a medium-sized enterprise.

He said the initiative would provide flexible business financing opportunities for youths and women to engage them in various entrepreneurships and become business owners and job creators.

“Entrepreneurship is the panacea for Nigeria’s chronic youth unemployment, high youth crime, as well as the security risks that associate with these factors.

Iyere added that entrepreneurship is the solution to the country’s poverty rate, hence women have been captured as equal beneficiaries of the initiative and ask well as the youths.

The unveiling of ‘FUND-YES’ was conducted by Comrade Kenneth Robinson, the National Organising Secretary of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), who also is the Spokesperson of the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF), an alliance of key ethnic nationalities, comprising the Pan Niger Delta Forum(PANDEF), Afenifere, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the Middle Belt Forum (MBF).

The first beneficiary of ‘FUND-YES’, Ndandok Limaro Thomas, from Jaba Local Government of Kaduna State, received an enterprise grant of N1,000,000 from Comrade Kennedy Iyere, for the purpose of enhancing beneficiary’s entrepreneurial success.

She is currently undergoing apprenticeship in Carpentry. Limaro is a graduate of Mass Communication from the University of Jos (UNIJOS).Iyere assured that ‘FUND-YES’ will support her with N10,000,000 upon the completion of her apprenticeship in the next Six Months.

The official recruitment of youths and women as potential beneficiaries of the entrepreneurial financing empowerment offered by ‘FUND-YES’ would begin in the third week of August.