Rotary Club, UDUF Africa Award N5m Grants to Five Young Entrepreneurs at Under45CEOs Summit

By Praise Chinecherem

ONITSHA, Anambra State — Five emerging entrepreneurs have received a total of N5 million in business grants from the Rotary Club of Onitsha Metropolis, District 9142, and Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation (UDUF Africa) to strengthen their businesses and drive economic growth.

The grants were presented during the Pitch and Win Contest at the sixth edition of the 2026 Under45CEOs Business and Leadership Summit, held at the Youth Development Centre, Emos Best Street, Federal Housing Estate, 3-3, Onitsha, Anambra State.

Each of the five finalists received N1 million following an additional N3.5 million donation by the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Janksmay Global Services Limited, Mr Ifeanyi Onwuachu, who was impressed by the quality, scalability and growth potential of the business ideas presented.

The summit, themed “Rethinking Entrepreneurship,” brought together entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals, innovators and aspiring business owners to explore strategies for enterprise development, effective leadership, networking and sustainable economic growth.

The initiative aimed to encourage young entrepreneurs to identify opportunities in everyday challenges, develop innovative solutions and build sustainable businesses capable of creating jobs and contributing to economic development.

Initially, the Pitch and Win Contest offered N1 million to the first-place winner and N500,000 to the second-place winner, bringing the original prize pool to N1.5 million.

However, Onwuachu’s intervention expanded the funding to N5 million, enabling all five finalists to receive N1 million each rather than restricting the financial support to the top two contestants.

The expanded grant scheme was seen as a significant boost to the beneficiaries, providing additional capital to strengthen their operations, pursue expansion opportunities and build resilient businesses.

Speaking on the initiative, the President of the Rotary Club of Onitsha Metropolis and founder of UDUF Africa, Rtn. Ezuma Smart Chinedu, described the grants as an investment in entrepreneurial ideas with the potential to create employment, solve societal problems and stimulate economic growth.

He congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to deploy the funds responsibly, stressing that the grants came with the responsibility to demonstrate the viability of their business models.

According to him, the beneficiaries must approach the opportunity with discipline, accountability and a clear commitment to building enterprises capable of creating jobs and delivering lasting economic value.

“The true success of the grant will not be measured only by the money received, but by the businesses built, the jobs created and the lasting impact achieved,” Ezuma said.

He commended UDUF Africa, under the leadership of its Continental President, Uplifter Christopher Uchenna, for providing a platform that promotes entrepreneurship, leadership development and youth empowerment.

Ezuma noted that the partnership between UDUF Africa and the Rotary Club of Onitsha Metropolis demonstrated how organisations with shared objectives could achieve greater impact by collaborating to address societal challenges.

He reaffirmed the club’s commitment to sustaining the partnership through programmes focused on entrepreneurship, mentorship, business development and community advancement.

The Rotary president also praised Onwuachu for his N3.5 million contribution, describing it as a demonstration of confidence in the ability of young entrepreneurs to develop successful and sustainable businesses.

He said the intervention underscored the important role private-sector leaders could play in complementing the efforts of service organisations and development foundations to promote entrepreneurship, create employment and strengthen the economy.

Judge Tasks Beneficiaries on Strategic Use of Funds

One of the judges at the Pitch and Win Contest, Rtn. Ugoo Abba, of the Department of Public Administration, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and Club Trainer of the Rotary Club of Onitsha Metropolis, commended the finalists for demonstrating the potential and practical value of their business ideas.

Abba urged the beneficiaries to deploy the additional capital strategically to improve their operations, strengthen their business models and achieve sustainable growth.

He emphasised the need for the entrepreneurs to translate their ideas into measurable results, noting that the grants represented both an opportunity and a responsibility to justify the confidence placed in them.

Rotary Club Seeks Monitoring, Mentorship for Beneficiaries

To ensure that the grants deliver meaningful and lasting results, the Rotary Club of Onitsha Metropolis recommended establishing a follow-up mechanism to monitor the progress of the five beneficiaries and assess the impact of the funding on their businesses.

The proposed monitoring framework would focus on business growth, proper utilisation of the funds, employment generation, operational improvements and long-term sustainability.

The club also advocated linking the beneficiaries with experienced entrepreneurs and professionals who could provide mentorship and guidance in financial management, marketing, corporate governance and business expansion.

According to the club, combining financial support with professional guidance and accountability would improve the beneficiaries’ chances of building resilient businesses capable of surviving market challenges and creating lasting value.

The club expressed appreciation to UDUF Africa, speakers, panellists, judges, sponsors, volunteers, participants and other stakeholders who contributed to the success of the summit.

It also acknowledged members of the Rotary Club of Onitsha Metropolis for their commitment to service, entrepreneurship development and community advancement.

The 2026 Under45CEOs Business and Leadership Summit was described as a practical demonstration of how collaboration among service organisations, non-profit foundations and private-sector leaders could transform entrepreneurial ideas into tangible economic opportunities.

The Rotary Club of Onitsha Metropolis expressed optimism that the five beneficiaries would use the grants to expand their businesses, create employment opportunities and inspire other aspiring entrepreneurs across Anambra State and beyond.

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