Man is a creation that has been made to be an initiator of ideas and these ideas are meant to be used for his upliftment and also a way through which he contributes his quota to the development of his immediate society. However, while some succeed in turning their ideas into profitable ventures; some struggle and/or fail in the quest to nurture their ideas into full-blown businesses. Muhammad Yunus, the man who authored 'the Banker to the poor', once said: "All people are entrepreneurs but many don't have the opportunity to find that out". It is in unearthing the entrepreneurial abilities of certain persons [who dare to take the leap] that the input of non-governmental becomes quite appreciable. These NGOs help providing capital; mentorship and probably creating avenues whereby local entrepreneurs get display their innovations to a global audience.
Hence, without further ado, let us see some NGOs that assist in turning an entrepreneur's 'seed' into bountiful harvest:
The Tony Elumelu Foundation: Through the conception of the Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme, the foundation has set out to help entrepreneurs across the African continent actualize their dream of becoming successful business owners. The programme which is a brainchild of influential and successful businessman, Tony Elumelu, will be bankrolled with $100 million over the span of ten (10) years. The objective of the programme is to provide participants- entrepreneurs- with some essential needs (like skill, capital and mentorship) that will enable them develop their businesses. It is envisioned that through this programme, a total of ten thousand entrepreneurs who will in turn help drive development- economic and human resource- in Africa, would have been produced within the next decade. With this programme, the foundation has thus far empowered about three thousand individuals and the 2017 event will be the fourth of its kind...application is currently ongoing for the 2017 programme and interested persons can apply through this link: https://application.tonyelumelufoundation.org/application
LEAP Africa: The LEAP [Leadership, Effective, Accountability & Professionalism] initiative was founded by Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli in 2002. The body aims to help build entrepreneurs with good leadership qualities and also empower them with the skill needed to drive business sustainability. LEAP Africa is in partnership with JP Morgan, Sahara group, Microsoft, Lafarge, Coca-Cola Foundation, Citi Foundation, Aspen Institute...just to mention a few. The office is at 13, Omorinre Johnson Street, Lekki phase 1, Lagos.
Center for Enterprise Development and Action Research (CEDAR): This NGO is located in Ibadan and it is in partnership with the University of Ibadan Distance Learning Centre and the Center for Development Enterprises (CDE) in Belgium. It has been set up to help aspiring entrepreneurs achieve their goal(s) by ensuring that they have access to information on market intelligence; skill acquisition and also micro-credit.
Center for Entrepreneurial Development Lagos (CEDL): CEDL is a Lagos based non-governmental organisation that provide business information and funding to prospective entrepreneurs. The objective of this body is to foster, nurture and promote innovative ideas from individuals and Small and Medium scale Enterprises. The officials of this organization hold an interactive briefing session with interested individuals every last Saturday of the month. Their office is located at No. 36, Murtala Mohammed International Airport Road, Lagos.
FATE FOUNDATION: The FATE foundation was founded over sixteen years ago by former managing director of Guaranty Trust Bank, Fola Adeola. The foundation [through its two major programmes- Aspiring Entrepreneurs Programme and Emerging Entrepreneurs Programme] trains prospects on the skills needed to grow and nurture ideas into burgeoning business. Since its inception, the foundation has equipped over 70,000 entrepreneurs with useful information and mentorship on business strategies. FATE Foundation is in partnership with KPMG, Microsoft, Mainone, Ford Foundation, Bank of Industry and recently joined the Youth Business International Network.
Some other non-governmental organizations with the objective of providing entrepreneurship support for individuals who are passionate about turning their innovative ideas into fortune include:
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Seedstars Africa
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88 mph
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Center for Citizens' Emancipation and Empowerment
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440
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Ashoka Africa
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Women in Management and Business (WIMBIZ)
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Sir Emeka Offor Foundation
However, it is worthy to note that [at one point or the other] certain professional bodies have set aside some funds for entrepreneurial advancement. For instance, the Y.E.S (Young Entrepreneurs and Students) grant was initiated by the Nigerian Young Professionals Forum in partnership with Heritage Bank; the African Women's Development Fund which is given to organizations, is yet another example among many others.