Real Estate Mogul, Okonkwo, Launches Empowerment Programme for Budding Entrepreneurs

Chiamaka Ozulumba

The Founder and CEO of NedComOaks, one of Nigeria’s leading real estate companies,

Dr Kennedy Okonkwo, is set to launch a Startup Accelerator that will offer grants, infrastructural support and operational expertise to young Nigerians taking a shot at entrepreneurship for the first time.

The new initiative, known as the Kennedy Okonkwo Programme for Entrepreneurs (KOPE), will officially kickstart on Monday, October 14, 2019, with an initial entrepreneurship package for people looking to transform their tech ideas into business ventures.

Nigeria is the world’s entrepreneurship capital, with more people starting and running businesses in the country than anywhere else across the globe.

Passionate about entrepreneurship and deeply concerned by the challenges faced by young people in business, Okonkwo is looking to fill the gaps preventing budding entrepreneurs from blossoming in their ventures.

A serial entrepreneur with vast business outlays in property development and retail investment, KOPE is the latest of Okonkwo’s efforts to help Nigeria’s youth grind out success from the country’s tough economic environment.

The initial stage of the KOPE will see 10 shortlisted tech start-ups bid for grants of up to N1million, which comes together with a free fully-furnished office space equipped with high speed internet, and constant power supply.

The successful Tech Start-ups also get free access to HR, legal and administrative services, as well as one on one mentorship with Okonkwo.

To stand a chance to win the KOPE grants, tech start-ups and budding entrepreneurs in the tech space should visit the website www.kopeceh.comto register.

However, Okonkwo revealed that huge deficits in financing, infrastructure and operational knowhow mean that more Nigerian entrepreneurs struggle than success, and young people starting a business for the first time often fail.

According to him, “at a time when many Nigerians are struggling to cope with hard economic times, I strongly believe that we, business leaders across every sector, owe it as a call of duty to help others, especially start-ups, thrive.”

Speaking on the upcoming launch, the real estate guru said “With KOPE, we are looking to build not just an accelerator for people starting out in business, but a long-term anchor to aid indigenous ventures grow sustainably.

“That’s why we are going to not only offer financial grants to KOPE beneficiaries, but also provide them with free office spaces as well as HR, Legal and Administrative support, at no cost.”

Further, Okonkwo stated that the goal is to nurture start-ups from their infancy, to become unicorns, adding that the programme provides beneficiaries with financial, infrastructural and institutional support to start and grow their businesses into successful ventures.