By Onwa Ekor, Calabar
Cross River governor, Prince Bassey Otu, through the state Microfinance and Enterprise Development Agency (MEDA) in partnership with the Office of the Special Assistant to the president on digital and creative economy, recently recorded another feat as 100 participants graduated from the first cohort of the Creative Accelerator Program, selected in the areas of fashion and styling, content creation and photography.
The graduation ceremony which took place at the Prof Eyo Ita Entrepreneur Development Centre in Calabar, saw 10 graduands who competed and won in the pitching session during the capacity building skills, carting home N500,000 each as grants.
Special Assistant to the President on Creative and Digital Economy, Office of the Vice President, Mr. Fegho Umunubo, charged the beneficiaries to remain disciplined and committed to the skills so acquired, while expanding their businesses.
“There are many temptations ready to divert money from your business for personal needs,” Umunubo said, adding that, “your family members will come to you for their problems, please make sure you use that money to develop your business.”
He advised that, “when the business grows, you will have enough to support the family but at the beginning stage, don’t divert that money to family problems or needs from your friends.”
Admitting that modalities have been put in place by his office and the domiciled bank to monitor the proper use of the said funds, he charged the beneficiaries to work towards expanding their businesses and employing other persons as these would help in reducing the rate of unemployment in the country.
Director General – Cross River MEDA, Mr. Great Ogban, applauded the governor, Prince Bassey Otu, for committing to developing creatives in the state, as well as lauded the SA to the President on Creative and Digital Economy, Fegho Umunubo, for remaining committed to the partnership.
On the selection process, Ogban explained that application forms were published in the state, a development which saw about 200 participants going online to register.
Continuing, he said: “Out of this number, 100 persons were interested in the available skills set and for the pitching, at the end of the program, all of them were offered opportunity to do a presentation in the presence of judges and facilitators where ten persons were selected for the N500,000 grants each.
“That is not to say that the other applicants would not benefit having received skills. There are access to finance which the governor, Prince Bassey Otu, has graciously made provisions for in the state, so all of them would be profiled to access finance for their business start up and expansion,” DG MEDA remarked.
He also assured that the program which is an inclusive training for everybody would be extended to the three senatorial districts of the State.
MEDA Board Chairman, Esessien Edem, on his part maintained that for the governor to set a vision for digital and creative arts, means that there are lots of importance and space for the sector, hence the graduands must go to the field showcasing what they have learnt and doing the state proud.
Earlier, the Project Coordinator, Mrs Nissi Ibiang, informed that the event was not just the completion of a programme but the emergence of a new generation of creatives equipped and empowered to transform their talents into thriving businesses.
“Our participants have moved from the classroom where they received in-depth entrepreneurship training to practical sessions where they honed their craft in fashion, photography and content creation.
“They have been mentored by industry experts who have not only shared knowledge but have provided invaluable guidance on navigating the creative economy and in the final phase, they stepped into the spotlight, competing in a pitching session that showcased their talent, business acumen and readiness to take on the market,” Ibiang explained.
The event featured fashion show, photography slideshow, drama and certificates presentation.
