Favour Ijaja has emerged as the winner in the prestigious 2023 edition of Creative Hustle 2.0, a capacity building program designed to empower students to excel in their studies while flourishing in the entrepreneurial landscape.
Ijaja, a 400 Level Student of Theatre and Performing Arts at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, showcased unparalleled prowess to secure the coveted prize of N500,000, demonstrating her exceptional ability to integrate academic pursuits with entrepreneurial ventures.
Themed “Study and Hustle,” Creative Hustle’s second edition received sponsorship from Gazzelle Business Solutions in collaboration with the Department of Theatre and Performing Arts Television at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The project was facilitated by BKMI.
Gazelle aims to propel talents and enterprises to greater heights through the programme.
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The strategic initiative fosters business process re-orientation for professionals, fostering business growth, and redirects students’ mindsets towards leveraging their diverse talents and innovative ideas to achieve sustainable livelihoods.
Commending the creative endeavors of all participating students, Muna Onuzo-Adetona PhD, the Chief Executive of Gazzelle Business Solutions, encouraged heightened contributions to future editions to enhance the exhibition of talents.
She emphasized that the primary objective is to equip students with the requisite skills and entrepreneurial knowledge essential for self-reliance and taking charge of their personal and career aspirations.
Widely known as the ‘Startup Doctor,’ Dr. Muna praised Nigerian youths for their remarkable resourcefulness, innovation, and creativity.
Nonetheless, she expressed concern that the absence of a creative platform has left many of the nation’s youth neglected and devoid of opportunities to channel their vocations constructively.
Citing data from the National Bureau of Statistics, Dr. Muna underscored the pressing issue of youth unemployment, which has grown to alarming proportions, particularly in Nigeria, a nation boasting one of the largest populations of young people in Africa, with 55 million unemployed youths.
Engaging the youth has become an imperative to tackle the high unemployment rates in the country, prompting the support of capacity building initiatives like the Creative Hustle, she added.
The focal point of this year’s event, titled “Study and Hustle,” was to empower creative Nigerian students who balance academic pursuits with entrepreneurial endeavors.
Participants vied for the grand prize by presenting their ideas on effectively combining academics with business growth through concise one-minute videos.
The grand prize of N500,000.00 goes to the winner, while the second and third place winners received N250,000.00 N150,000.00 respectively.
The event, which commenced online on June 12, 2023, invited entries from Nigerian students across various campuses.
Among the numerous submissions, ten finalists were selected and invited to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, for the grand finale held on July 2, 2023.
