Port Harcourt – Renaissance Africa Energy Company Ltd. has awarded business start-up grants to 215 youths across the Niger Delta Region.
Mr Igo Weli, the company’s Vice President, Relations and Sustainable Development, disclosed this at the graduation and award ceremony for the beneficiaries on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.
Weli said that of the 21,000 applications the company received, 215 youth entrepreneurs emerged as top-performing beneficiaries.
He said that the selection followed a rigorous process, training and business-plan development.
He described the large number of applications received in the process as evidence of great ideas and ambitions in the Niger Delta.
“Thousands of young men and women across the region are developing ideas, identifying opportunities and seeking opportunities to build businesses.
“Consequently, this initiative is part of our company’s broader efforts to invest in people, and promote sustainable development in the region,” he said.
He advised the beneficiaries to demonstrate discipline, patience and consistency, noting that entrepreneurship required commitment to achieve sustainable success.
Weli urged the youths to focus on solving real problems, creating value, building customer trust, and continuously improving their knowledge.
“Success is not measured only by how much money you make, but also by how many opportunities you create for others,” he said.
The event also witnessed the launch of the NNPC Renaissance Initiative for Sustainable Enterprise (NRiSE), a new enterprise development platform designed to build on the 22-year legacy of the company’s LiveWIRE programme.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Renaissance Africa acquired the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC) Joint Venture in March 2025, effectively bringing Shell’s onshore operations in Nigeria to an end.
Weli said LiveWIRE, under SPDC, trained about 11,000 young entrepreneurs across the Niger Delta and supported thousands of businesses that remained operational.
According to him, some beneficiaries had become employers of labour, suppliers, business partners and role models in their communities.
“NRiSE is more than a change of name. It represents an enhanced enterprise development platform designed for emerging business realities,” he said.
The Renaissance vice president said the initiative would provide mentorship, incubation, business advisory services, market linkages and stronger partnerships to help enterprises start, survive and grow.
He expressed confidence that the next generation of successful entrepreneurs, business leaders and job creators was already emerging from the Niger Delta.
Mr Olanrewaju Igandan, the Acting Chief Upstream Investment Officer at NNPC Upstream Investment Management Services (NUIMS) commended Renaissance Africa for continuing with the initiative.
He said that the programme had provided the graduates with more than certificates and had equipped them with tools and knowledge to become successful entrepreneurs.
“What you take away from this room today is just more than a certificate. What you take away is empowerment,” he said.
Igandan urged the graduates to grow their businesses and create employment opportunities for other Nigerians.
He said that what young entrepreneurs needed was opportunity, structure and sustained support to translate their potential into successful businesses.
“This is precisely what the programme has provided, and this is what NRiSE, formerly known as LiveWIRE, will continue to provide,” he said.
One of the beneficiaries, Ms Anita Ngere, Founder, Nebis Tech, said that the programme gave her clarity, confidence and exposure to opportunities that would accelerate her business.
Ngere said that although she had started her business before joining the programme, the training enabled her to connect with people and explore new opportunities.
She said that the seed funding helped her to acquire some of the items needed for her business and that the knowledge gained encouraged her to pursue grants and incubation opportunities. (NAN)
