In what can be described as never-done-before in Nigeria, Sterling Bank Plc, Nigeria’s leading commercial bank partnered with iCreate Africa, founders of Africa’s largest technical and vocational skills competition to host a 2-day skills competition in Enugu, the heart of the south eastern states, in a bid to discover and celebrate skills excellence in eastern Nigeria.
According to the organisers, over 80 competitors are participating across 15 categories including bricklaying, plumbing, carpentary, tailoring, make-up artistry, web design among others for a chance to win over 5 million Naira in cash prizes as well to represent Nigeria at the World Skills Competition in Russia.
While speaking at the press conference, Arinze Okeleke, Branch Manager, Sterling Bank in Enugu, said the bank is committed to solving Nigeria’s critical challenges of which unemployment ranks high, “as a bank this is not just an event, it is an opportunity to nurture and mentor the next generation of business leaders in the country and Sterling Bank is prepared to go all the way with the participants of iCreate Skills Competition till their skills begin to thrive into profitable businesses and they become employers of labour.”
Frank Nweke, Chairman, Board of advisers for iCreate Africa, commended Sterling Bank for seeing the vision behind iCreate Skills Competition long before other organisations could recognize the value in it and described Sterling as the “Bank of the future”.
The competition continues today and will be culminated in a dinner/award ceremony where winners from the two-day competition will be announced and celebrated.
