Life Continental Lager Beer gives N12.5 million to 50 entrepreneurs in South-East

www.odogwublog.com reports that Life Continental Lager Beer, a brand of beverage under the stable of Nigeria Breweries, is living up to its name.

It has set-up an entrepreneur empowerment scheme for 50 distinguished young people, worth of N12.5 million for budding and talented businessmen and women within the South-East.

Marketing Manager Lager and Stout of Nigeria Breweries, Mr Emmanuel Agu, announced this in Onitsha, Anambra yesterday. He said that the empowerment scheme programme would run from May to December this year.

Agu spoke during a one-day seminar organized for businessmen and women in the South-East, which was titled: Life Continental Lager Beer Progress (Entrepreneur) Booster Radio Programme.

He noted that the programme was meant to empower 50 budding entrepreneurs that have submitted sound and workable business proposals to the brands outlets in the South-East.

The manager noted that a winner, whose proposal must have been approved by business experts, would be given N250,000 to start-up his or her business idea that won him the money while being supervised by business experts for the next three months.

He noted that while being supervised for three months if the business of the budding entrepreneur is still doing well in the practicability of his business; he would be given another N250,000 to added to the initial seed-money capital given to him or her.

Agu said that the winner would be announced each week via a weekly radio programmes on the scheme in four regional radio stations in Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri and Aba.

The manager noted that the business proposal could be on trading, handicraft, small scale manufacturing and provision of social services, which must have ways of yielding money and pulling the recipients of the cash grant out of poverty to being employer of labour later on.

He explained that the criteria for participating included: participants must be above 18 years; must come from the South-East and must reside within the South-East.

``The empowerment project tagged, Progress Booster is a radio reality project designed in the manner of global entrepreneurial reality series like The Executive, The Entrepreneur etc.

``Where young and aspiring entrepreneurs conceive and present business ideas and projects in a competitive atmosphere to panel of experts, business executives and professionals who will guide them to realise their dreams.

``Progress Booster will see young and aspiring entrepreneurs especially from the South East competing with each other for various prizes as the project will challenge them to draw on their Igbo heritage of doggedness, industry, enterprise and progress as a people, to conceive, package and present business ideas to a carefully selected panel of judges made up of successful business owners and entrepreneurs, accomplished professionals and academics, especially of Igbo extraction.

``Winners will emerge at the State levels in each of the five South-East states where the project is targeted at. A final and overall winner of the project will emerge at the end of the finals.

``Weekly winners will go home with N250,000 to boost their businesses while the most promising business owner will get an additional N250,000 three months after.

``The Life Booster project is a reinforcement of the heritage embedded in the Life Continental Lager Beer, its essence and connection with the South-East consumers,’’ he said.

Agu also noted that the programme was designed to rejuvenate and celebrate the quintessential Igbo culture that places emphasis on individualism and competitiveness as essential ingredients of industry, enterprise and spirit to succeed and excel.

It would be recalled that Nigeria’s pioneer region most indigenous beer brand - Life Continental Lager Beer - is the first Nigerian beer locally brewed and domiciled in the South East.

Life Continental Lager Beer has been dominantly consumed in the eastern part of Nigeria for over three decades.  

Photos

 (From left to right) The Marketing Manager Lager and stout of Nigeria Breweries, Mr Emmanuel Agu; the Regional Business Manager Nigeria Breweries, Mr Obior Okola; Mega Distributor Nigeria Breweries, Chief Ken Maduakor; the Business Manager Nigeria Breweries in Onitsha, Mr Bayo Akinola and Nigeria Breweries Key Distributor, Mr Festus Anyanwu.

 (From left to right) The Marketing Manager Lager and stout of Nigeria Breweries, Mr Emmanuel Agu; Mega Distributor Nigeria Breweries, Chief Ken Maduakor and the Regional Business Manager Nigeria Breweries, Mr Obior Okola.