Following the launch of the Stephen Akintayo Foundation’s $5 million for five years grant (2023 to 2027) to support 1000 SMEs, the initiative has rewarded the first set of beneficiaries with $5000 each at an award ceremony that took place in their Omole office in Lagos, and in Dubai on Saturday, January 28 2023.
It would be remembered that a couple of weeks ago, Dr Stephen Akintayo, GMD/CEO, Gtext Holdings had announced plans to roll out the SME grant starting from January 2023, with the focus of the month being Agriculture.
The first set of beneficiaries and recipients for January include Victoria Adeyeye of Phenacoconut Product and Yetunde Taiwo of YT Foods, both of whom were visibly excited to have won $5000 each.
In the same vein, Dr Akintayo further rewarded the highest salesperson of the year 2022 for Gtext Holdings, Martha Onsachi who got the gift of a brand new car on the same day.
According to the staff of Gtext Holdings, January 28 is a day of celebration for the brand as it also marks the birthday of the CEO, Dr Akintayo, hence the flurry of activities on the day.
While the day had kicked off with the Dubai edition of the Global Wealth Festival, Dr Akintayo, in celebrating his birthday also launched three new books, bringing the number of his published works to 41.
The books include; ‘Becoming a Billionaire Land Banker’, ‘Billionaire Habits For Entrepreneurs’, and ‘Billionaire Habits For Pastors’.
Speaking on the activities that made up his birthday, Dr Akintayo said, “The whole concept of entrepreneurship is always finding a way where there is no way, creating value amid challenges and constantly looking for opportunities.
“So, as much as I am grateful to God for how far we have come as a business, we must begin to raise entrepreneurs who are serious about their business.
“I started this company 15 years ago with just N1,000, so I understand what it means to start a business without funding or capital, just trying to struggle to make it work.
“This is why we are working only with businesses that have started. You must have shown that your value is accepted in the marketplace and people are willing to pay for it no matter how small. Our grant is there to just help you to scale it up, so if you have just started, you have demonstrated value and you just need something to help you scale up a bit.
“Ultimately, what is important is the success rate of those that get it, so we are not just supporting them with cash, but also with mentorship.”
The car winner, Miss Onsachi, who shared her gratitude for the reward, also said, “It’s a continuous season of giving, and this shows that Gtext sees and values my efforts and it means that I must work harder to keep doing what I do well so that I don’t waste the trust that has been placed upon me.”
