African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has extended the grant of the Grand Africa Initiative (GAIN) to train 300 young African entrepreneurs.

The training programme is expected to kick off in March and would focus on entrepreneurship and intra-African trade.

According to a statement, the Director, African Union/African Continental Free Trade Area, AU/AfCFTA Relations and Trade Policy, Afreximbank, Yusuf Daya emphasized the importance of enabling young African entrepreneurs to take full advantage of the opportunities availed by the AfCFTA.

“Our renewed support to the GAIN Masterclass underscores the Bank’s efforts to develop skills of African youth and build African entrepreneurial capacity under the Afreximbank Academy (AFRACAD). We look forward to an even more successful program in 2024 following the highly impactful masterclass in 2022 which helped build the capacity of 200 entrepreneurs from across the continent.”

Also, the Partnership Lead at GAIN, Jerry Momoh said: “This marks the fifth edition of the GAIN entrepreneurship masterclass series designed to empower African youths. We have two series so far focused on training women and three series now open to both males and females. We are happy to have this partnership with Afreximbank again this year to provide invaluable entrepreneurial support to young entrepreneurs.

“In 2022, we trained participants from 29 countries across Africa. Beyond the training, participants will gain in-depth knowledge, build connections, and access mentorship from experienced global mentors, all of which will have a successful impact on their business growth.”

According to him, the GAIN-Afreximbank masterclass on entrepreneurship and intra-African trade has been meticulously designed to equip young African entrepreneurs from various regions of the African continent with essential skills to foster the growth and expansion of their enterprises beyond their national borders.

“Over a comprehensive six-week program, participants will gain valuable insights into how to build and expand their businesses leveraging the intra-African Market. Participants will receive technical guidance, practical training, and business advisory from a faculty of international experts.

“Moreover, this program aims to enhance inclusivity in the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) by offering interventions that specifically support young Africans, women, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

Interested individuals have been encouraged to submit their applications through the official program website of GAIN.