General News
GAIN and Afreximbank Empower Young African Entrepreneurs
Grand Africa Initiative (GAIN) in collaboration with Africa Export-Import Bank (AFREXIMBANK) trained young African Entrepreneurs from across Africa.
The program GAIN-AFREXIMBANK Masterclass on Entrepreneurship and Intra-Africa Trade is an empowerment program.
This is part of the Africa Export-Import Bank’s effort to increase participation of African young entrepreneurs in cross border trade and expand trading activity under the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) which is pivotal to the continent’s economic transformation.
Grand Africa Initiative (GAIN ) is a Pan-African Non-governmental organization helping African young men and women, between 15 and 35 years, develop and harness their unique ideas, talents and abilities for success in education, entrepreneurship, innovation and employment.
Training, empowering and providing technical support to African young men and women by equipping them with digital, leadership, employability, and entrepreneurial skills for self-sustenance.
The program was designed to equip young African entrepreneurs who were selected from across Africa with skills to build and scale their businesses across borders; learn key insights that will help them identify opportunities in various African Markets, expand their businesses, manage trade finance, form partnerships, grow their income, leverage the opportunities of the AfCFTA, attract foreign direct investment and create employment for more youths.
The program received applications from one thousand, three hundred and seventy-six (1,376) young African entrepreneurs from twenty-nine(29) African countries across the five(5) regions in Africa out of which two hundred (200) were selected. The participants were selected based on the set criteria.
The program kicked off on the August 8th, 2022 with a virtual opening ceremony which had the Executive Director Grand Africa Initiative-GAIN, Ms. Chinwe Okoli; the Senior Manager, AU/AFCFTA Relations and Trade Policy, African Export-Import Bank Mr Babajide Sodipo and the Keynote Speaker His Excellency Thami Mseleku, the High Commissioner of South Africa to Nigeria, selected participants and members of the public in attendance.
It was a 3 month program that had intensive live masterclass facilitated by global experts and leaders in various aspects of business who brought to class experience and mastery.
The participants learned from facilitators from Africa, America, and Europe who covered fifteen (15) broad topics, which was followed by mentorship and business advisory sessions with experienced mentors and experts in various business sectors.
Expected outcomes of the program include: Increase in the number of properly structured businesses, rise in international business partnership deals between young entrepreneurs to promote Intra-Africa trade, emergence of new breed of global entrepreneurs in Africa, creation of more job opportunities for Africa youths. Beneficiaries of the program have been equipped with skills and knowledge needed to beyond build globally competitive businesses, record higher trade volumes, position, and expand their businesses to take advantage of the AfCFTA and contribute to economic development of Africa.
The immediate impact of the program can be seen from the participant’s testimonials about the program:
“This program is top notch. It went beyond my imagination. I applied SWOT techniques to strategise my business which really helped out these 3 months”. Amina Onawo Mohammed, CEO Unique shis Green Products Ltd, Nigeria
“Before I joined this program, my ideas were not structured and I was blind to the possibilities out there and how I could benefit from ACFTA. This program has introduced the idea of networking and the importance of having a clearly defined strategy and branding”. Robert Chikuse, CEO Rowdach Enterprise, Malawi
“The program is an important step towards opening up African opportunities. Expanding the youths engagement in the International Trade and exports market”. Kevin Maino, CEO Regime CONSULTIUM ENTERPRISE, Kenya
“I want to deeply say thank you to Grand Africa Initiative-GAIN and AFREXIMBANK for this and life transforming Masterclass, I have learnt a lot from both the sessions as an Entrepreneur and I have been equipped with the relevant knowledge and information to excel in my business world. The class and mentorship sessions by GAIN professional mentors and other industry experts is highly commendable. The communication of the GAIN teams is also top-notch, And I recommend this Entrepreneurship Masterclass to other people. All thanks to Ms. Chinwe Okoli, God bless GAIN and team, God bless AFREXIMBANK”. Godswill Nnabugwu Alegu, CEO GOLDEN PRIMEGA ENTERPRISES NIG. SERVICES, Nigeria
“To be part of this program was needed in a time like this. I need to be challenged and see that my business is not about my small country. It opened my eyes to more African countries,more opportunities.It showed me mentors and business I can learn from”. Gaëlla Abizera Gahama, CEO Gaaga Hair and Makeup, Burundi
“The GAIN-Afreximbank Masterclass is what every African entrepreneur needs”. Augustine Sensie Bangura, CEO Sierra Agri foods, Sierra Leone
“This program is mind blowing and it has widened my knowledge on marketing and the facilitators were professionals”. Musisi Clement Isaiah, CEO Moruta Investment Co. Ltd, South Sudan
“I gleaned and absorbed so much from the program. I am ready to elevate my business and best prepared for trading in Africa ”. Sandiswa Mgolozeli, CEO Epitomely Interior Doctors, South Africa
“It has really been value packed as it expanded my boundary of thoughts to seeing possibilities”. Markus Matthew, CEO Macfeshi Technologies, Nigeria
“This training is extremely relevant for the African SME, it shifts one’s mindset from business for daily survival to lasting legacy”. Mkhudzo Hamoonga, CEO Nobility Accounting & Advisory, Zambia
“GAIN-AfreximBank, thank you for the opportunity to network and learn. The lessons were quite amazing. GAIN went all out to find key industry leaders and speakers who shared so much needed information, which is very impactful in my business operation. This has indeed been an amazing experience. I am confident that through the tools shared, my business will grow”. Mosebetsi Rapitso, CEO Iconics Pty Ltd, Lesotho
“I can say I have gained more than what I have expected from this training. Overall the training was so good that I have decided to suggest others to participate in similar future training organized by GAIN-AFREXIMBANK”. Tihtina Belamo, CEO TABOR CERAMIC, Ethiopia
“I have learned beyond what I expected. I have taken several master classes and GAIN-AFREXIMBANK master class is the best so far”. Ngwain Sih Elisabet, CEO Phoenix revival association, Cameroon
“During the course of this training, I have been able to generate more streams of income by expanding my business. This training surpassed my expectations”. Letsogile Serojane, CEO Magmr Holdings, Botswana
“Before I joined I had no mode of my business, I was just doing business just to keep myself busy and know that I’m doing business but after my masterclass it’s when I’m really a business woman. Now I see my sales getting into the numbers that I never expected, African Entrepreneurs need a masterclass such as this”. Jacqueline Kawishe, CEO BARRON GROUP OF COMPANIES, Tanzania
The role of youth entrepreneurs cannot be overemphasized in unlocking the economic potentials of Africa and building a strong economy in Africa and the world at large, hence, GAIN is focused on promoting youth development for empowerment by continually designing programs aimed on building the capacity and igniting the positive energy of the greater segment of Africa’s population – the youth.
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The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to grassroots artisans to upgrade local skills to meet both national and international benchmarks and compete in the global markets.
Speaking recently during the Skill-Up Artisans (SUPA) zonal rally, Dr Afiz Ogun, director-general of the Industrial Training Fund (ITF), stated that the initiative is designed to professionalise the sector.
The rally was designed to raise awareness of the programme throughout the North-West region.
The rally saw a diverse turnout of professionals, including those in construction and engineering such as welders, fabricators, plumbers, and carpenters.
Those in the technical service comprised of electrical installers and automobile mechanics, while those in the creative and digital space were fashion designers and ICT technicians.
Represented by Muhammad Aminu, the former zonal director of the ITF, Ogun explained that the SUPA scheme seeks to convert traditional craftsmanship into sustainable livelihoods.
He emphasised that the goal is to transform artisans from job seekers into employers of labour.
“We are calling on artisans across the North-West to embrace the SUPA programme,” Ogun remarked. “This is an opportunity to enhance productivity, increase earnings, and ensure our workforce can compete on a global stage”.
According to the DG, the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, focusing on restoring dignity to manual and technical work.
He noted that a competent artisan class forms the essential foundation of a productive economy.
He further called upon traditional rulers, community leaders, and trade associations to assist the ITF in disseminating information about the programme to ensure high participation rates.
“We are here to engage the technicians, the tradespeople, and the young talents who serve as the backbone of our economy,” he added.
Nancy Ekong, director of the Technical Vocational Skills Training Department, highlighted the programme’s recent successes. She revealed that over 30,000 artisans were trained and upgraded during the initial SUPA cycle in 2025.
The ITF remains optimistic that the continued expansion of SUPA will bridge the existing skills gap in Nigeria’s industrial sector.
American billionaire businessman Bill Gates, has paid $8 billion to his ex-wife, Melinda French Gates’ charity, five years after their split over his affairs with other women.
Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates
Gates made the $7.88 billion donation to Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation in 2024, The New York Times revealed.
The sum, one of the largest public donations ever recorded, was revealed in a new tax filing, which shows the first specific financial terms of the couple’s high-profile split in 2021.
Melinda resigned from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in May 2024. Despite leaving the charity, she suggested her ex donate $12.5 billion to a new charitable foundation she intended to create.
A representative for Pivotal told the Times the $12.5 billion agreement has been fulfilled, and the nearly $8 billion donation was part of that agreement.
Melinda set up her Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation in 2022, the year after the divorce. At the end of 2023, it had $604 million on hand.
The billionaire pair split after 27 years together in 2021, embarking on what is considered the most expensive divorce settlement in the world. Melinda later received approximately $76 billion in assets.
Months later, details of Gates’ affair with a Microsoft employee were exposed.
The woman penned a letter to the company’s board in 2019, divulging details about the fling which began in 2000 and demanded that his wife, Melinda “read it”.
Microsoft’s board investigated the women’s claims and deemed the relationship “inappropriate”, the Wall Street Journal reported at the time.
Gates suddenly quit the board in March 2020 while the investigation was still in progress – and before the board could make a formal decision on the matter.
Two further bombshell reports were then revealed, alleging Gates had routinely hit on staffers at Microsoft and at the philanthropic foundation he founded alongside his wife.
A separate shocking report claimed that Gates had sought marriage advice from Jeffrey Epstein, with whom he reportedly shared a “close” relationship, having first met the convicted sex offender in 2011.
Gates’ and Epstein’s friendship first came to light in 2019, months after Epstein killed himself in his Manhattan jail cell while awaiting trial on charges of child sex trafficking.
The two men reportedly spent time together on multiple occasions, flying on Epstein’s private jet – dubbed the “Lolita Express” – and attending late-night gatherings at his Manhattan home.
Federal Government has rolled out a new policy to reduce education costs, enhance learning outcomes, and promote environmental sustainability through the nationwide adoption of reusable textbooks.
Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa
Jointly announced by Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, and Minister of State for Education, Professor Suwaiba Sa’id, the policy introduces durable, high-quality textbooks designed to last four to six years, according to a statement signed by Boriowo Folasade, Director, Press and Public Relations at the ministry.
The policy bans the bundling of disposable workbooks with textbooks, enabling books to be shared among siblings and reused across academic sessions, a move expected to significantly cut recurring expenses for parents and reduce school-generated waste.
It also establishes a uniform academic calendar across the country and streamlines graduation ceremonies to terminal classes only, limiting them to Primary 6, JSS 3, and SSS 3.
Furthermore, the policy tightens assessment, selection, and quality assurance processes for instructional materials, introduces structured revision cycles to ensure only substantive content changes are made, and limits the number of approved textbooks per subject in line with international best practices.
These measures are aimed at ending frequent, cosmetic textbook revisions that compel parents to buy new books annually without meaningful improvements, while the Nigerian Educational Research and Development Council (NERDC) will continue to oversee textbook quality assurance as the Federal Ministry of Education pursues broader education reforms.
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