ABUJA, Nigeria  Ten young entrepreneurs have won N21 million in grants and an all-expenses-paid trip to South Korea at the final pitch contest of the Abuja Centre for Entrepreneurship.

The contest was held Thursday at the Public Service Institute of Nigeria in Abuja. The centre, also known as Start-up Innovation Academy, is a project of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria and the Korea International Cooperation Agency.

‎SMEDAN said the project aims to support Nigeria’s start-up ecosystem through training, incubation, mentorship and business development. Ten start-ups pitched their ideas to judges.

Minister of Industry Sen. John Ewan Onoh said supporting young entrepreneurs is key to job creation and economic growth in line with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda.

‎SMEDAN Director-General Charles Odii said the partnership shows the value of international cooperation in helping local businesses grow. He said SMEDAN will continue to support small businesses with funding, mentorship and market access.

‎ACE Project Director Prof. Gee Hyun Hwang from Soongsil University, South Korea, praised the participants for their creativity and innovation.

‎One of the winners, Aisha Aminu Mohammed of Tita Universal Services Ltd., thanked SMEDAN for the training and mentorship.