Unity Bank Plc has announced the winners of the 27th edition of its Corpreneurship Challenge, awarding millions of naira in equity-free grants to fresh graduates from OAU, UNN, and The Polytechnic, Ibadan.
The initiative, which operates as a nationwide incubator for the Batch C, Stream 2 cohort, has produced 638 young entrepreneurs since inception, with a cumulative investment exceeding ₦300 million. The bank said the programme continues to support young Nigerians at a critical stage of their entrepreneurial journey.
This edition featured a diverse mix of hardware and service-based startups from a 10-state pitch competition. Unlike pure software ventures, the selected Corpreneurs are focused on the real-sector economy.
In Lagos State, the Grand Prize of ₦800,000 went to Awolumate Fawaz Babatunde, a Civil Engineering graduate of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, for his high-scale fashion design enterprise.
In Rivers State, the Top Pitch award was secured by Abdur-Razaq Sayfullah Adebola, an OAU graduate, for his innovative footwear manufacturing business.
Kwara State’s winner was Olatunde Esther Funmilayo, an OOU graduate, who pitched a chemical production and deodorant service startup.
For many fresh graduates, the period immediately after the NYSC year is often described as the “Valley of Death,” when business ideas struggle due to lack of capital. Unity Bank said its strategy is to intervene at this pre-seed stage to prevent promising ideas from collapsing.
“Many young Nigerians possess viable business ideas but lack the initial capital. The Corpreneurship Challenge was designed to bridge that gap by providing financial backing and mentorship at a critical stage,” said Mrs. Adenike Abimbola, Divisional Head, Retail, SME & E-Business at Unity Bank.
Through its partnership with the NYSC Skill Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) programme, the bank said it is de-risking future SME loans.
By training and funding graduates during their service year, Unity Bank is building a base of structure-ready entrepreneurs prepared for the open market, at a time when white-collar jobs continue to shrink.
