FATE Foundation, an entrepreneurship support organisation has said it is collaborating with Facebook to implement the 2020 Aspiring Entrepreneurs Digital Programme to support 360 entrepreneurs across 11 states in Nigeria.
It said in a statement that the AEP Digital programme combined strong enterprise management, digital marketing and financial literacy courses to provide fundamental knowledge and guidance on building a digital enabled business in Nigeria.
The programme which would be fully virtual this year and free to all selected participants would also provide data/Internet support; Ad credit giveaways, and growth support services to the entrepreneurs, it stated.
The Policy Programme Manager, Sub-Saharan Africa, Facebook, Phil Odour, stated, “The AEP Digital has recorded great impact and reached 640 Nigerian startups since 2018 by providing their founders with relevant knowledge, tools and skills to grow sustainable and digitally enabled businesses.
“We are looking forward to supporting more entrepreneurs at this critical time.”
The statement said this year’s programme would focus on building resilience and competitive advantage during this crisis, and key modules would address business model adaptation; digital marketing; customer engagement; financial literacy (cash flow management) and remote work management.
The Executive Director, FATE Foundation, Adenike Adeyemi, commenting on the programme, stated, “following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world and with attendant limitations on movements and in-person interactions in Nigeria, FATE Foundation and Facebook recognised the urgent need to provide much needed knowledge and support to startups across Nigeria to sustain their nascent businesses, generate revenue and create jobs.”
It stated that Lagos, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Kwara, Edo, Ogun, Abia, Enugu, Kano, Plateau and Oyo states were selected to enable more entrepreneurs around Nigeria have access to the much-needed, best-practice entrepreneurial know-how, particularly for businesses in the Nigerian context, as well as provide research-driven support for businesses to grow sustainably.
