Diamond Bank rewards entrepreneurs with N15m in the Budding Entrepreneurs Today (BET) programme

Diamond Bank Plc has rewarded finalists of the seventh season of the Budding Entrepreneurs Today (BET) programme with N15 million grant.

Ikenna Ubah, Tope Alake, Jumoke Dada, Bayo Ojelabi and Osagie Azeta emerged winners of the grants having displayed exceptional skills and productive business ideas after six months of entrepreneurship training.

The BET programme, which is the bank’s flagship corporate sustainability project, is run in partnership with the Enterprise Development Centre (EDC) of Pan Atlantic University and has catered to over 350 entrepreneurs since inception in 2011.

Speaking at the BET 7 dinner and award ceremony in Lagos, Uzoma Dozie, CEO of Diamond Bank said the programme was aimed at inspiring, encouraging, mentoring and supporting budding entrepreneurs with basic skills required to build, grow and manage a business.

Peter Bamkole, Director of EDC said the centre has been a technical partner of Diamond Bank since inception of the BET programme seven years ago, emphasising that the EDC was responsible for conceptualizing and implementing the project.

Chioma Afe, Head, Corporate Communications, Diamond Bank Plc said apart from the over N105m cash prizes given out to the top five winners of the BET over the past seven years, the bank has also helped reduce unemployment in the nation by grooming strong businesses that create employment.

By Sunday Michael Ogwu, Dailytrust