With this in mind, the March 8th Initiative was launched in 2020 in honor of Nigeria’s Vice President Prof.
Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, in a bid to support and further fuel the entrepreneurship industry in the country. Created by well-meaning Nigerians who share in the Vice President’s passion for MSMEs in commemoration of his birthday, the grant offers one-off business grants to young Nigerians seeking opportunities to start or expand on their innovative business ideas. For its second edition, the initiative was reorganized into 4 categories this year to provide more opportunities for young Nigerian entrepreneurs between 18 and 35 years. The call for application was made on March 8th, 2021 with entrants being called on through public advertisements to submit applications for grants ranging from N100, 000 to N1,000,000, and covering varying stages of small business growth. To qualify, applicants who own and run Nigerian businesses were mandated to submit a one-pa
It will be recalled that as part of the events lined up for Prof Osinbajo’s birthday last year, 100 young entrepreneurs received business-defining grants of N1 million each that helped grow and advance their businesses, among other incubator support services from close friends and associates of ‘Prof’ as he is fondly called under the auspices of ‘The March 8th Initiative”.
These “Friends of Prof’ conceptualized The March 8th Initiative” to inspire and promote communal, entrepreneurial and public-spirited endeavours within Nigeria in honour of his birthday.
In a statement, the Group which organizes the annual March 8th Initiative stated that for this year’s celebration, the Initiative is expanding its reach and scope with a view to imparting a broader spectrum of Nigerians.
The Friends of Nigeria’s Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, have announced the commencement of this year’s ‘March 8 Initiative’ MSME Grant for Small Businesses to mark his 64th Birthday on Monday.