Sterling Bank to Hold Youth Empowerment Concert in Ibadan

  Sterling bank plc will hold the second annual ‘Get Ready for Work’ concert on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at the Kakanfo Hall, Ibadan, the Oyo state capital. In a press statement made available to Connect Nigeria, the bank said the concert was conceived to change the mindset of graduates towards entrepreneurship and equip them with skills to bridge the gap between employee expectations and employer requirements. Already, some Non-governmental Organisations and professionals have aligned with the vision and commended the bank for the initiative; One of such body is LEAP Africa. The Lagos representative of LEAP Africa, Iyaduni Olubode noted that ‘’the programme would go a long way in preparing the minds of our youth on challenges in the workplace and help build the required confidence to engage professionally and instill in them the confidence to communicate and relate with their colleagues”. Similarly, the Muyiwa Afolabi of The Fronteirs said the programme would transform the lives of the Nigerian youth and change their mindset about the future. “The mindset of an average Nigerian youth when going to school to acquire a degrees is to finish his programme and join an institution that will give him or her best pay that will guarantee his or her future.” “However, Sterling Bank through this programme is bound to change the mindset into one in which our youth will begin to embrace entrepreneurship. Those in paid employment will also begin to think of what they could give back to the institution where they earn their living and not necessarily what they stand to gain”. The bank’s chief Financial Officer, Abubakar Suleiman, said the concert will strategically help the bank actualize its Corporate Social Responsibility drive in the education sector.