The Rotary Club of Onitsha Metropolis, District 9142, in partnership with Ultimate Destiny Uplifters Foundation (UDUF Africa), has awarded ₦5 million in business grants to five emerging entrepreneurs at the 2026 Under-45 CEOs Business and Leadership Summit in Onitsha, Anambra State.
The grants were presented during the Pitch and Win Contest at the sixth edition of the summit, held at the Youth Development Centre, 3-3, Federal Housing Estate, Onitsha, under the theme, “Rethinking Entrepreneurship.”
Speaking at the event, 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 businesses capable of creating jobs and solving societal problems.
He congratulated the beneficiaries and urged them to deploy the funds strictly for business growth, stressing that the grant represented both an opportunity and a responsibility.
“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,” he said, urging the beneficiaries to remain disciplined, accountable and focused.
Rtn. Chinedu commended UDUF Africa, under its Continental President, Uplifter Christopher Uchenna, for providing a platform for youth empowerment and leadership development. He noted that the partnership demonstrated what organisations with a shared vision could achieve.
He also appreciated the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Janksmay Global Services Limited, Mr. Ifeanyi Onwuachu, for his generosity, describing the donation as a demonstration of confidence in the capacity of young Nigerians to build sustainable enterprises.
The summit brought together entrepreneurs, business leaders, professionals and innovators to discuss enterprise development, leadership, job creation and sustainable economic growth.
The Pitch and Win Contest was designed to encourage young business owners to transform everyday challenges into viable enterprises capable of creating employment and delivering lasting economic value.
Initially, the contest offered a total prize pool of ₦1.5 million, with ₦1 million earmarked for the winner and ₦500,000 for the runner-up.
However, the competition took a new turn when Mr. Onwuachu, impressed by the quality and scalability of the contestants’ business pitches, donated an additional ₦3.5 million.
His intervention raised the total grant pool to ₦5 million, enabling all five finalists to receive ₦1 million each rather than limiting the awards to two beneficiaries.
One of the judges, Rtn. Ugoo Abba, of the Department of Public Administration, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, and Club Trainer of the Rotary Club of Onitsha Metropolis, commended the finalists for their presentations.
He urged them to invest the capital strategically to strengthen their operations, improve performance and achieve sustainable business growth.
The Rotary Club said it would sustain its partnership with UDUF Africa through entrepreneurship, mentorship and business development programmes.
It also recommended a follow-up mechanism to monitor the beneficiaries’ use of the funds, business growth, job creation and long-term sustainability.
The proposed mechanism would include linking the entrepreneurs with experienced mentors to provide guidance in financial management, marketing and corporate governance, helping them maximize the grants and build resilient businesses.
