Joy Agwunobi
The EnterpriseNGR Youth of Enterprise (YOE) Internship Programme, an initiative designed to tackle youth unemployment and underemployment in Nigeria, recently marked a major milestone with the graduation of its second cohort of interns.
Under the theme “Paving the Way for Career Success,” the YOE graduation ceremony brought together leading employers in the FPS sector, senior HR professionals, industry experts, the graduating interns, and many more ambitious young people looking to emulate their success.
In her remarks,Obi Ibekwe, the CEO, EnterpriseNGR, congratulated the graduating interns on their successful completion of the rigorous programme. She emphasised that the journey to this point had been challenging, and that the interns’ resilience and hard work had been key to their success. She mentioned the various stages of the programme, including the application process, the Graduate Aptitude Test (GAT), orientation, and eventual placements in leading firms,noting that each step demanded resilience and determination, culminating in the successful graduation of the cohort.
Ibekwe further stated: “To our YOE stakeholders; Enterprise NGR members, partnering organisations, donors and supporters we say a big thank you to your unwavering commitment to our mission, your dedication has been instrumental in helping our graduates reach this momentous milestone and we are incredibly grateful for your continued support.
I want to use this opportunity to invite more organisations to join this noble cause and support us by providing more internship slots to our interns across the country or by your current donations. Together we are confident that we can build a solid foundation for Nigeria’s future workforce and empower more young people.”
Announcing the top three performing groups and the overall best graduating intern, the EnterpriseNGR CEO disclosed that the third-place group had earned investments worth N50,000 per member. The second-place group received N100,000 per member, and the winning group and the overall best intern were awarded N250,000 each. .
One of the highlights of the graduation ceremony was the keynote address delivered by Bola Adeeko, group director of special projects at Flour Mills of Nigeria (FMN) Plc. Adeeko’s speech focused on “Building a Successful Career Path,” and he outlined the importance of resilience in the face of setbacks. Adeeko urged the interns to view difficulties as opportunities for growth and to maintain the values and ethics they had learned during their time in the programme.
The FMN group director encouraged the graduates to be focused, identify their strengths and passions, and use them to guide their career choices. He advised them to create a roadmap for their career, setting short- and long-term goals and taking steps to achieve them.
“If you look at my resume for instance you would be confused whether or not I am an accountant or project manager or executive. That was intentional for me, I wanted at the beginning of my career to have a well rounded background that allowed me to be able to move from one industry to the other,” he said.
Adaora Obikili, head of retail products at Chapel Hill Denham, a founding member of EnterpriseNGR, shared her reflections on her own career journey. Obikili, who started her career as an intern over 20 years ago, spoke about the importance of making long-term investments as a pathway to financial freedom and a fulfilling retirement.
The graduation ceremony also served as an opportunity to announce the waitlist for the next cohort of the YOE Internship Programme. Joy Abara, head of programmes at EnterpriseNGR, delivered a speech in which she offered encouragement to the graduates and reminded them to remain open-minded, resilient, and committed to excellence as they begin their careers.
With the conclusion of the ceremony, EnterpriseNGR affirmed its dedication to empowering young people in Nigeria and creating a brighter future for the nation’s workforce.
