SAGE AFRICA AT THE 4TH REGIONAL CHILD AND YOUTH FINANCE SUMMIT

The three-day conference on the theme: 'Advancing Youth Economic Empowerment for Inclusive Growth" held in  Accra Ghana, 23-25 November,2015  brought together African financial experts as well as stakeholders from more than 22 countries to work towards establishing regional and national -level strategies to address issues of financial education and entrepreneurship among the youth. This event was organized by the Child and Youth Finance International Netherlands in collaboration with Micro Finance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) and Youth Enterprise Support (YES) under the auspices of the Office of the President of Ghana.

The youth summit which focused mainly on creating an enabling environment for the growth of youth enterprises which involved workshops and plenary sessions that helped define specific challenges of young entrepreneurs in Africa and identified innovative practices that can help address these challenges.

The Eary Bird SAGE Team from Ghana had the opportunity of showcasing their social enterprises and made an excellent presentation to buttress the urgent need for youth entrepreneurship education utilizing curriculum like the SAGE TRIS curriculum.  The SAGE teen entrepreneurs further urged public and private sector policy makers in the African region to create requisite policies, legislations and action plan that will provide the enabling environment for children and youth to be financially included considering the youth unemployment crisis in Africa.

The President /CEO SAGE Africa Agwu Amogu conducted a workshop on "Financing Youth Enterprises through Innovative Practices and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). He stated that the major key funding areas of youth enterprises are Supporting training programs for youth entrepreneurs by financing training carried out by enterprise development organizations, mentoring youth entrepreneurs, with local business people providing guidance to new business owners, providing grants or credit to young entrepreneurs to start businesses in an imperfect credit market and including youth enterprises in value chain development.

SAGE is an international programme initiated at the California State University Chico USA. It is currently operating in all continents of the world.

SAGE is an international programme initiated at the California State University Chico USA. It is currently operating in all continents of the world.

APPLICATION FOR 2015 2015 NNPC/MPN UNDERGRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS.

2013 SAGE World Cup,Abuja Nigeria

As part of support to educational development and human capacity building, Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN), operator of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)/MPN Joint Venture awards annual scholarships to qualified undergraduate students in Nigerian Universities. Applications for the 2015 NNPC/MPN Undergraduate National Scholarship is now open.

GEOGRAPHICAL COVERAGE Awards will be made to qualified and suitable students who are currently admitted in Nigerian Universities irrespective of state of origin including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

E-applications are invited from full-time undergraduates in their FIRST YEAR (100 LEVEL) or SECOND YEAR (200 LEVEL) of study in any of the under-listed courses in Nigerian Universities:

1. Petroleum Engineering 2. Chemical Engineering 3. Mechanical Engineering 4. Electrical/Electronics Engineering 5. Civil Engineering 6. Geology/Geophysics 7. Medicine (MBBS Only) 8. Agricultural Science (And related fields) 9. Computer Science

Eligibility a. Candidates must be holders of the SSCE or its Equivalent with at least six subjects passed at a sitting b. Applicants must be registered full-time undergraduates in their 1st or 2nd year of study in any Nigerian University c. Students who are currently on similar scholarship awards from other oil and gas companies should not apply d. Dependants of employees of Mobil Producing Nigeria, Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc and Esso Exploration and Production Nigeria Limited are not eligible for this scholarship.

Please note that we will accept applications through this web site address only. Hard copies of any document submitted will not be processed. Before you start this application, ensure you have clear scanned copies of the following documents.

Passport photograph with white background not more than 3 months old (450px by 450px not more than 200kb) Current University ID card Admission letter Birth certificate O' Level result JAMB Result SSCE result or its equivalent Evidence of State of origin obtained from the appropriate Local Government Area and duly signed by the Chairman or Secretary Application closes midnight 1st December, 2015.

ONLY SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED.

Apply Here http://www.scholastica.ng/schemes/mpn

300 Swedish Institute Study Scholarships for Developing Countries 2016 .

Brief description: The Swedish Institute Study Scholarships (SISS) are awarded to students from selected countries for full-time master’s level studies in Sweden starting in the autumn semester 2016. The scholarships cover both living costs and tuition fees.

Accepted Subject Areas: About 600 different study programs at Swedish universities are eligible for a scholarship. Priority will be given to applicants choosing study programmes with an emphasis on gender equality, sustainable development, democracy, human rights or poverty reduction.

About Scholarship

The Swedish Institute Study Scholarships – SISS is the Swedish government’s international awards scheme aimed at developing global leaders. It is funded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Sweden and administered by the Swedish Institute (SI),

TheScholarships target highly-qualified students and are awarded for studies in Sweden starting in an autumn semester. The scholarships are intended for full-time master’s level studies in Sweden and cover both living costs and tuition fees.

The Swedish Institute is looking for applicants who display both intellectual ability and leadership potential and welcome applications regardless of age, gender and religious beliefs.

Scholarship Offered Since: Longer than 2007

Eligibility Criteria:

The programme offers a unique opportunity for future leaders to develop professionally and academically, to experience Swedish society and culture, and to build a long-lasting relationship with Sweden and with each other.

Ideal candidates are ambitious young professionals with outstanding academic qualifications, demonstrated leadership experience and a clear idea of how a study programme in Sweden would benefit their country.

Applicants must be from an eligible country and have at least two years’ work experience. Applicants must display outstanding academic qualifications and leadership experience. In addition, applicants should show an ambition to make a difference by working with issues which contribute to a just and sustainable development in their country.

Number of Scholarships: Approximately 300 scholarships will be awarded

Scholarship Benefit

The scholarship covers both tuition fees (paid directly to the Swedish university/university college by the Swedish Institute) and living expenses to the amount of SEK 9,000 per month.

The scholarship period cannot be altered or extended beyond the study programme period, nor can the scholarship be transferred to a study programme other than the awarded one.

Duration of Scholarships

The scholarship is intended for full-time master’s level studies of one or two years, and is only awarded for programmes starting in the autumn semester. The scholarship is granted for one academic year (two semesters) at a time. It will be extended for programmes longer than two semesters, provided that the student has passed his/her courses/credits.

Eligible countries: International students especially from developing countries

To be taken in (country): Sweden

Application Deadline: The scholarship application period opens with a first application round 1–15 December 2015, followed by a detailed second application round for successful candidates from the first round, on 1–13 February 2016

Scholarship offered annually? Yes

How to apply

Click Here to learn how to apply

Sponsors: The 

Swedish Institute

Read more: http://www.afterschoolafrica.com/359/swedish-institute-study-scholarship-for/#ixzz3rwE9gbNp

THE PRESIDENT SAGE AFRICA SET TO SPEAK AT THE 2015 CHILD AND YOUTH FINANCE INTERNATIONAL REGIONAL MEETING FOR AFRICA IN GHANA.

The President SAGE Africa ,Mr.Agwu Amogu will be speaking  at the 4th Child & Youth  Finance International (CYFI) Regional Meeting for Africa along side with His Excellency John Dramani Mahama, the President of the Republic of Ghana who is expected to deliver the keynote address and inaugurate the Meeting schedule to take place in Ghana at the Accra International Conference Center (AICC) on November 24,2015.

Agwu Amogu  will be speaking  on “Financing Youth Enterprises through Innovative Practices & Corporate Social Responsibility” on Wednesday, November 25, 2015.

The 4th CYFI Regional Meeting for Africa will bring together Africa’s leading experts, policy makers,business leaders, educators, young entrepreneurs and financial services providers to define critical issues inhibiting the socio-economic empowerment of young people and to identify innovative practices in addressing youth financial exclusion, unemployment as well as financial illiteracy.

The Youth Summit

The Meeting will be preceded by a Youth Summit on November 23, 2015. This Summit will 

focus mainly on creating an enabling environment for the growth of youth enterprises. It will 

involve workshops and plenary sessions that will define specific challenges to young 

entrepreneurs in Africa, and identify innovative practices that can help address these challenges.

Around 100 youngsters are expected to attend the Youth Summit. The will be made up of:

• Young entrepreneurs from the region

• Members of the CYFI Youth Entrepreneurship (Ye!) Community

• Alumni participants from previous CYFI Global Youth Summits and Regional Youth Meetings for Africa

• Youngsters actively furthering financial education and inclusion in their respective countries

• Representatives of youth organizations in the region

Ye! Pitching Event

The Meeting will see the launch of Ye! Community in Africa. The Ye! Community is CYFI´s 

global platform for youth entrepreneurs aged between 16 and 30 years. It provides a gallery of 

country guides, an online community for young entrepreneurs to connect, a coaching program 

to pair entrepreneurs with experienced professionals, and funding opportunities. An integral 

part of this year´s meeting will be Ye! Pitching Event for young entrepreneurs. Eight young 

entrepreneurs will be given the opportunity to market their businesses to potential investors, financial service providers and business leaders.

Attendees

The Meeting will welcome senior and high-ranking members from the following types of institutions:

• Financial authorities (national, regional, international)

• Financial institutions (global & local)

• Financial education service providers

• Governmental sector representatives (including Ministries of Finance and Education)

• Large corporations

• Foundations

• Leading researchers in the fields of financial inclusion, entrepreneurship and financial literacy

• Media Experts

• Technology Experts

• Multilateral and bilateral agencies

• Civil Society Organizations

• Public personalities

Program Themes

The 4th Child & Youth Finance Regional Meeting for Africa will reflect this global call for action. To achieve its objectives and expected outcomes the Meeting is structured around three main themes: Innovate, Act, Impact!

• Innovate (November 23): Experience-sharing sessions initiated by partners, stakeholders and other experts to share best practices and learn from innovations across global sectors in the field of financial inclusion and Economic Citizenship Education.

• Act (November 23 and 24): Demonstrate new concrete projects which can be implemented, replicated and taken to scale.

• Impact (November 24): Create national and regional specific action plans to facilitate the economic citizenship ecosystem and shape a regional outreach plan for 2016 and beyond

  

for more information ,please visit :childfinanceinternational.org/

SAGE NIGERIA- 8 TIMES SAGE WORLD CUP CHAMPIONS, FIND OUT HOW WE CONQUERED THE WORLD

WHY SAGE?? 

SAGE –Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship is an international programme initiated at the California State University Chico USA. It is currently operational in all the continents of the world. The SAGE mission is to help create the next generation of entrepreneurial leaders whose innovations and social enterprises address the major unmet needs of our global community. It engages young people in a hands-on learning process on how to create wealth, help others and their communities.

Core Activity of SAGE

• Secondary school students are trained and galvanized to complete REAL BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY PROJECTS 
• School teachers ,Youth Corpers,University Students,Community Leaders serve as Advisors and mentors to SAGE Teams.
• At the end of every SAGE year (May/June)SAGE Teams showcase their projects in a multimedia presentation in front of business and civic leaders.
• Best teams advance from local tournament that climaxes at the SAGE World cup  

How can I be part of this network ?

SAGE is the most successful youth entrepreneurship youth programme  in the world and its open to all either as individual or cooperate organization.

Individuals: as part of their community service obligation can mentor a SATE Team in his /her community or serve on the Teams Business Advisory Board. 

Cooperate Organizations :can encourage their staff to do their community service by mentoring SAGE teams closest to their living abode,they can provide seed capitals for business start-ups for SAGE Teams and also sponsor SAGE Tournaments.

SAGE was introduced in Nigeria in 2005 and has shown that it is a potent model for educational reform, community service learning and youth employment generation.  

SAGE NIGERIA DOCUMENTARY 

It is worthy to note that SAGE Nigeria has won the World Cup seven times in the last nine years-

                                                       Odessa,  Ukraine 2006

                                                                Abuja ,Nigeria 2008

                                                          Brasilia ,Brazil 2009

                                                    Buffalo,New York 2011

 San Francisco, USA 2012

Abuja Nigeria ,2013

Seoul,South Korea 2015


SAGE NIGERIA PARTNERS AND SPONSORS 

9 Lessons To Learn When You Are An Entrepreneur

Being an entrepreneur is not a spectator sport. Nor is it for the faint of heart. But mix a little bit of passion with a fair amount of planning, and a business can grow up to be anything you want it to be.

Here are nine lessons you should learn on the road to creating a company that suits your life.

1. Know what you want

Photo credit :Rob Best 

2009 SAGE World Cup Wining Project -SAGE Team from JSS Jikwoyi Abuja making a business presentation at the 2009 SAGE World Cup in Brasilia Brazil.

Is it your desire to be the king of your own empire or do you simply want the freedom to spend afternoons with your children? Maybe you want something in between? I often hear from entrepreneurs who want a business that allows them to send their kids to college one day and then support their retirement. They want to be able to conduct business wherever they are. They want to create a product or service they love. That’s good motivation since the hours you spend on your business will likely far exceed anything you ever did at your desk job. Your motivation has to be big enough to overcome the challenges ahead.  

2. Listen more than you speak  

Relationships matter, and networking events are a great way to make that connection. They’re also a great place to meet potential clients, although not everyone gets the memo on how to network successfully. Events such as these are not business card drops, but timed learning opportunities. Introduce yourself to a new person and ask questions until you find some common ground. If you listen more than you speak, the chances are greater you’ll hear when you are able to offer a true solution to problems.

3. Wrap them up in a hug  

Everyone is online. We’re all staring into screens, typing or texting away, disjointed and distracted. But if you find a way to bring people together, whether it’s online or on your street, they won’t ever forget it. Give them what they want, whether it’s knowledge, acceptance, humor. People are searching for a way to connect with others, because in those smaller venues, they have a greater chance of being heard.

4. Get proof

People will spend good money on things they value. If you’re new in business, though, it may be a tough sell, so get proof that you are as good as you say you are. I interviewed an architect a few months ago who today has a million-dollar business. But when he started, he had exactly one client- a mother he knew from one of his children’s sports team. That one client gave him referral after referral and it helped his business take off. Relationships matter, but you still have to do the work.

POP and Chalk production by SAGE Team JSS Jikowyi Abuja at the 2009 SAGE World Cup ,Brasilia ,Brazil .

Get social

SAGE Teams networking 

The other day my son wanted to install a server on my computer. I immediately got concerned. Will it compromise my computer? Will I lose everything on my hard drive? Why is this necessary? But my son told me I had nothing to worry about. He had checked reviews, done oodles of research and made sure he knew everything he needed to know about servers. Where did he get that information? On the internet. Did I mention he is 10 years old? Millennials and those behind them will go to the internet for answers before they do anything else. They want to see reviews and testimonials with their own eyes. And they’re not afraid to dig to get the information they want. That means they’re trying to see if your product or service is worth their time and money. So it’s important you’re there to answer those questions. That means having a website, a social media presence, and this is critical, engagement with customers on social media.

6. Say what you’ll do, do what you say

Photo credit :Rob Best 

2009 SAGE World Cup Wining Project -SAGE Team from JSS Jikwoyi Abuja making a business presentation at the 2009 SAGE World Cup in Brasilia Brazil.

No matter how old a customer is, this one thing stands the test of time. Simply do what you say you’re going to do. It’s what separates mediocre businesses from great companies. Talk to any consumer. Ask them about any company, and they’ll have an opinion about the product or service it offers. Chances are, the response you get will relate directly to whether they promptly received what was promised.

7. Keep your eyes on your own paper

Every time I watch Shark Tank, I think about something I can quickly sew, mold or craft to make a million dollars. It’s inspiring. It’s deflating. So often we take what’s happening around us and we allow it to weigh on us. We analyze, we agonize, and then, we don’t move forward. The only thing you have control over is you. And that means getting to work. Don’t worry about what’s happening with another entrepreneur or another company. You can only worry about you. So get to it!

8. Start small and grow big

I had a client once who wanted to be on the Today Show. She had never been in the media before. It’s not to say it can’t happen, but if you’re hoping to be seen as an expert, it’s important you are seen as an expert somewhere else before you take the national stage. Start small. Begin booking appearances in your local newspaper, on TV, or on the radio. Then work your way up. The same holds true for business. In general, test your idea in your circle and listen for the reaction. If there’s traction, follow it as far as it goes.

9. Don’t give up

Photo Credit :Rob Best

An accredited Judge at the 2009 SAGE Word Cup ,Brasilia ,Brazil 

Too many people let fear and failure stand in the way. I get it completely. Entrepreneurship can be scary. But it’s important to keep going. My dad swore up and down he would not get a laptop 7 years ago. He’s pretty stubborn, but 7 years ago, my brother and I bought him his first one. And now he can’t live without it. He’s also on Facebook. A lot. People change. If you can show them the value, they’ll be happy to try something new.

That’s it. Nine lessons to learn when you’re an entrepreneur. Learn them well, as they come in handy not only in business, but in life.

What lessons would you add to the list? Please post them in the comments below.

Article by:Founder, CherylTanMedia.com