Buhari’s aide, Rafsanjani, others attend Gifted Hands cooperative launching
Succour has come the way of Small and Medium Scale enterprises, entrepreneurs and professionals as a popular Abuja-based socialite and entrepreneur, Alexandra Alexander, launched the Gifted Hands Thrift and Cooperative, in Abuja.
The business venture is a multipurpose co-operative society.
The society was established to support young entrepreneurs and professionals in the country.
The launching event, which had in attendance different youth stakeholders, also had Auwal Rafsanjani, who is the Executive Director of CISLAC, as Chairman of the event.
In her speech at the launching, Alexandra popularly known as Alexxia, said her cooperative is poised to empower and support small and medium scale enterprises, by making funds readily available for young entrepreneurs to sustain and scale up their businesses regardless.
She said: “I am delighted and proud to launch this Cooperative initiative which we believe will have a tremendous impact on people’s lives.
“Gifted Hands Thrift and Cooperative is more than just a Cooperative, it reflects our passion for enriching lives and commitment to expanding our will to young entrepreneurs who needs to thrive in their businesses.”
She further explained that according to relevant statistics, SMEs in Nigeria contributes a whooping 48% into GDP, account for 96% of businesses, and provide 84% employment opportunities for citizens.
“It is this realization that has birthed the Gifted Hands thrift and corporative, which is geared towards ensuring the easy access of loans to SMEs, with a platform for investment.
“We want to demystify the gruesome challenge of funding for those who genuinely have entrepreneurial vision, and are willing to make a bold step towards the seemingly distant future,” Alexxia said.
Chairman of the occasion who doubles as the Executive Director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Center (CISLAC), Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, hailed Alexander for setting up the wonderful initiative to help young entrepreneurs grow.
“This is a wonderful initiative primed to meet the needs and challenges of young business owners. I am glad and excited that Gifted Hands Thrift and Cooperative is at the forefront in enabling easy access to funds to sustain and expand businesses,” he said.
Comrade Rafsanjani, charged the newly-launched cooperative platform to maintain consistency in the financial sector, and make loan applications more convenient with flexible collateral, favourable interest rates, application tracking, and robust customer service, among others.
In his remark at the launching, the Senior Special Assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on Youth and Students Affairs, Nasir Adhama, who was represented by his technical assistant, Dr Aminu Isyaku, said his office is opened for partnership with the cooperative society to support young entrepreneurs.
Delivering a goodwill message, Mohammed Qarib Ibrahim, a Senior Legislative Aide at the House of Representatives, urged enterprising youths across the country, to take advantage of the funds to become self-reliant.
