Idris Ahmed
1 October 2008
Visafone, one of Nigeria's dynamic mobile phone companies, has teamed up with Ecobank Nigeria Plc and Vitamalt as the telecoms partner for the sponsorship of The Entrepreneur TV Series showing on national television commencing Saturday, October 4.
The business reality TV programme is offering Nigerian for micro entrepreneurs, access to funding opportunities of up to N1million. It will run for 13 week on African Independent Television (AIT) from 5-6pm and Channels TV from 7-8 pm also on Sundays. It will also run on the African Magic on DSTV on Saturdays. Head, Corporate Communications of Visafone, Toni Kan Onwordi, said that Visafone is fully committed to empower Nigerians. In a statement, Onwordi said: "Our support for The Entrepreneur TV Series is because of our conviction that the pogramme is targeted at supporting the entrepreneurial aspirations of the average Nigerian who otherwise would have had difficulties accessing the funds required to make the diiference in his or her life. It is a worthy initiative that we feel proud to be a part of."
He said 60 candidates have been selected through regional auditioning in three major Nigerian cities from thousands who registered to be part of the show after a thorough screening process held in three regional centres of Kano, Aba and Lagos.
He said the reality show will have 16 judges comprising highly experienced personalities, who in their own rights, have made their mark in growing various businesses from the scratch.Three judges will direct each episode in the 13 weeks the programme will run. The Executive Director of the Inspire Media, producers of the programme, Mr Goke Dokun, said the show was conceived as a platform to enable innovative social enterprises that will meaningfully impact on society by alleviating poverty and empowering small businesses in Nigeria. He said: "The programme is a must watch because of its unique approach to delivering set objectives. First, it gives Nigerian micro-entrepreneur the freedom to own their ideas by allowing them access to required financial capital without undue interference of any other vested interest on how the envisioned business would be owned and managed.
"Secondly, it recognises the need to further empower the Nigerian entrepreneur whom the world has acknowledged as being innovative but lacking the financial wherewithal to change his world."
The Entrepreneur TV Series has Ecobank Nigeria as the lead sponsor, Vitamalt, world's number one malt drink as associate sponsor, while Visafone is the telecoms sponsor. Other partners are Financial Standard Newspaper, Growing Business Foundation and the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria.
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