Since inception in 2018, the Ugwumba Center for Leadership Development in Africa has impacted on the lives of over 5,000 Nigerian youths.
Through one of its impact investments and job creation programs called the Ugwumba Enterprise Challenge, which was launched in Owerri, Imo State in 2019, the center has supported the birth of over 2,000 SMEs and startups across the country with training and access to finance.
Last year, the center celebrated a milestone for reaching youths from the various 36 states plus the FCT who participated in the 2020 edition of the Ugwumba Enterprise Challenge, where a young lady from Kano State emerged the overall winner for the first time since inception of the challenge.
As an impact-making model, the project has since attracted the support of Government agencies in Nigeria, private organizations and international organizations, which are collaborating with the Ugwumba Leadership Center in preparing these young entrepreneurs in Nigeria for more access to finance opportunities, including global investment opportunities.
Several success stories have been recorded by the center for launching this initiative. One of them is that over 2,000 SMEs have been birthed by youths who have participated in the three editions of the Ugwumba Enterprise Challenge. Many of the participants, who we call “Ugwumba Fellows” have won other national and international grant competitions after being discovered and raised by the center. Some of them include Ugochukwu Mbaka, Ezinne Nwakuba, Gift Muoneke, Excellence Joshua, etc.
Another major achievement of the Center that deserves mention is that the startup that won the 2020 edition, “The Upcylce Architect” founded by Bilkisu Garba is today being understudied by MBA students of the Butler University in Indianapolis, USA. The founder, Bilkisu has been co-opted into the Social Enterprise class, which is an important subject of the MBA as a facilitator.
To further increase the scope and impact of this project, the Center in partnership with InnoPower USA is launching a $250,000 Startups Development Program for 100 Ugwumba Fellows, an intensive program designed to last for 8 weeks with an opportunity for live pitching before US investors, come June, 2021.
Our scope is Africa and we are preparing to launch out a Pan African project as soon as the #Covid19 pandemic recedes.
Therefore, to ensure that Ugwumba Fellows from across the country benefit from all these and more, they have therefore elected their representatives at the regional levels, as follows:
a) Postmus Osuji, Coordinator for South East
b) Seyi Babalola, Coordinator for South West
c) Treasure David, Coordinator for South South
d) Tarnungo Peter Terlumum, Coordinator for North Central
e) Farouq Abdulrazaq, Coordinator for North East, and
f) Emmanuel Bala Musa, Coordinator for North West.
The list of the elected Deputy Coordinators shall be announced, subsequently after conducting our security and due diligence checks.
The Board and Management of the Ugwumba Leadership Center hereby endorse the leadership of the Ugwumba Fellows, and wish to inform the general public that their services are voluntary in nature as they are not members of staff of the Center.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!
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