The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has been named Best Overall Contributor to the Development of the Nigerian Creative Industry in 2013 by the Creative Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria.

The award, to be conferred on her on January 25 at the 2013 Creative Industry Awards, is in recognition of her leadership and contribution to the success of the YOUWIN programme which has supported thousands of youth entrepreneurs to grow their businesses and create jobs for other youths.

The impact of the unique business plan competition which is coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Finance, along with the Ministries of Communications Technology and Youth Development, is confirmed by the fact that the 2,400 winners of the first two rounds of the programme have created close to 20,000 jobs so far.

While acknowledging the progress made in job creation which saw the creation of 1.6 million jobs last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala has always stressed that the country needs to work harder to create more jobs for the teeming youth population.

The programme of events showed that Dr. Okonjo-Iweala and the British High Commissioner for Nigeria, Dr. Andrew Pocock, will also speak at the event which will hold at the British Council Gardens in Ikoyi, Lagos. Okonjo-Iweala will speak on the lessons learnt from Funding Startups and growing companies in Nigeria, while Pocock will speak on British-Nigerian Creative Business Environment.

Wale Adenuga of WAPTV was crowned as Creative Entrepreneur of the year 2011, while Chris Ubosi of Megalectrics, owner of The Beat FM, Classic FM and Naija FM, won the award in 2012.

The key objectives of the award is to sensitise the Nigerian Creative Sector to the opportunities that abound in Nigeria, while showcasing and rewarding those that have taken the bull by the horn.

According to Wale Ewedemi, the Director General of the Creative Entrepreneurs Association of Nigeria, the federal government’s support of entrepreneurs can be attested to through its various laudable projects and intervention in this drive. While expressing gratitude for such support, he expresses hope that the symbiotic relationship will yield good results as entrepreneurs hold the key to any thriving economy.

•Photo shows Okonjo-Iweala.

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