Dashme Initiative Most Deserving Charity, Humanitarian Effort- CEO

The Dashme Initiative floated by the former Finance Minister, Mrs Kemi Adeosun has been rated as the most deserving of all charity and humanitarian efforts worldwide.

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Lead Multipurpose and Media Consult Limited, Mr Emmanuel Cheke made the rating while speaking with journalists in Lafia, Nasarawa State capital on Wednesday.

Mr Cheke commended DashMe’s mission to uplift orphans and vulnerable Nigerians noting that the N500 million fundraising drive was a genuine reflection of the former minister’s character, passion, love and care for the less privileged.

“As a company, we are ready to partner with DashMe to collectively drive this noble initiative centered on charity and humanitarian services aimed at improving the lives of orphans and vulnerable persons in the country.

“We, therefore, seek to partner actively with DashMe with commitment to contribute towards the realisation of the objectives of this noble initiative. As Chief Executive Officer of Lead Multipurpose and Media Consult Limited, I believe in the DashMe Initiative and am willing to partner with the organization,” he said.

Emmanuel also acknowledged Mrs Adeosun’s earlier landmark project called the Youth Enterprise With Innovation In Nigeria (YouWiN!) Connect, which was launched under the Goodluck Jonathan administration.

He described it as “a wonderful initiative conceived to raise young Nigerian millionaires through entrepreneurship training and empowerment.

“YouWiN! Connect raised hundreds of young Nigerian entrepreneurs through capacity‑building training and empowerment. The aim was to create young millionaire entrepreneurs who would, in turn, set up businesses and employ other young men and women contributing to the Nigerian economy. It was such a wonderful initiative under former President Goodluck Jonathan,” he added.

He recalled the success of Phase One, where hundreds of participants received N10 million grants to start businesses across the country.

The CEO said he was a beneficiary of Phase Two of the 2017 YouWiN Connect Master Class held at Benue Hotels, Makurdi, in 2018.

“I was privileged to participate in the second phase of the 2017 YouWiN! Connect Capacity Building Master Class Training alongside hundreds of other participants… During the closing ceremony, the representative of the minister came forward and congratulated all of us saying, ‘you are all millionaires’ and there was thunderous applause from participants in the hall,” he said.

He however lamented that the momentum was abruptly halted, when the late President Muhammadu Buhari who took over in 2019 and could not continue the programme despite the successful completion of training and certification of the second cohort.

“Unfortunately thereafter, while we were waiting to be called to Abuja to sign and receive grants, the story changed — leaving the beneficiaries stranded. But personally, I didn’t regret it because of the knowledge I gained from the training.

“I therefore call on the Tinubu‑led Federal Government to re‑introduce the YouWiN! Connect programme to raise young Nigerian entrepreneurs through entrepreneurship training and empowerment, enabling them to become employers of labour and reduce unemployment,” he said.