The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) is proud to announce the commencement of the 2018 SPDC JV LiveWIRE Programme, which specifically targets youths from Niger Delta states. LiveWIRE is an initiative aimed at improving opportunities for young people to realize their potential by creating and developing their businesses. Such businesses will contribute towards a more buoyant economy and communities with more fulfilled young people.
LiveWIRE Nigeria is a youth enterprise development programme that is supported by The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC). This programme aims to raise business awareness amongst final-year university students, to encourage them to see starting a business as a valid career option. It also assists youths in discovering and developing business ideas through Bright Ideas Workshops, providing business planning and management guidelines and skills through the Become A Successful Owner Manager Course (BSOM), and running awards for the best business plans. The prize for this award gives access to micro-credit facilities through third parties like banks, NGOs, and allied financial institutions.
This programme also runs an award for young people who have sustained a business for 2 to 3 years and continues the award on an annual basis. It provides a volunteer mentoring programme for those who have completed the training course and decide to pursue starting their own business. Mentors can be drawn from oil & gas, banking, social voluntary sectors, etc. LiveWIRE also prints and provides information on youth enterprise at the LiveWIRE Resource Centre. The programme targets youths in the age range of 18 to 30 years.
To be eligible for the Shell Nigeria LiveWIRE Programme, applicants must be indigenes of Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta, Imo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Cross River or Edo States, and must be residents in their state of origin. They must possess a University degree or HND in any discipline, must not be in paid employment, must have an innovative business idea and must desire to own and manage a business. Applicants must not be a business owner for more than three (3) years, and must not have previously benefitted from any Shell Community Skills & Enterprise Development Social Investment programme such as LiveWIRE, Community Skills Training, Agricultural programme, etc. The business plan must relate to specified value chain sectors/areas, i.e., Agriculture, Clean Energy Solutions/Oil and Gas Social Enterprise, Manufacturing, Retail and Wholesale, ICT and Telecommunications.
For young people, there is access to attractive, targeted, high-quality, relevant programmes and opportunities to meet other young people with similar ambitions and challenges. For the joint venture partners, especially Shell, there are Public Relations, media and brand opportunities aimed at demonstrating commitment to local economic development. In addition, because LiveWIRE works in the area of youth development and small business (which in nearly every country around the world are major political and social concerns), it can provide platforms to involve government to interact with youths/future leaders. LiveWIRE can also provide good opportunities for Shell Employees’ Volunteering programmes. The application deadline for the Shell Nigeria LiveWIRE Programme is December 22, 2023. Interested and qualified applicants should visit ng.livewire.shell to apply.
