PremiumTrust Bank has partnered with the Hallelujah Challenge Corporate Social Responsibility team to reward 13 entrepreneurs and small business owners with a total of N50m in business grants.
The initiative, announced in a statement by the bank on Sunday, is designed to serve as a strategic intervention for small businesses, which the financial institution described as the engine room of the Nigerian economy.
Commenting on the initiative at the grant award ceremony in Lagos, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, PremiumTrust Bank, Emmanuel Emefienim, noted that the financial institution was intentional about driving impactful, collaborative growth.
He said, “We believe that it is a platform where lives are impacted, and dreams are birthed. As a bank, we felt it was compelling to associate with the initiative in partnership with Hallelujah Challenge.”
Emefienim further stated that the intervention went beyond direct financial support, ensuring that all 13 beneficiaries received structured business training to equip them with the necessary tools and insights to scale their enterprises sustainably.
“Apart from the business grants given to the winners, we have also trained them adequately to give them a sense of how to deploy their resources in upscaling their businesses. This will also help them to be more focused and more intentional while we support them all the way,” he added.
Also speaking at the event, the Convener and Founder of the Hallelujah Challenge, Pastor Nathaniel Bassey, expressed appreciation for the bank’s involvement, noting that the partnership elevated the non-governmental organisation’s vision to new heights.
Bassey explained that it had always been the goal of the Hallelujah Challenge to go beyond singing and praising God, to genuinely touch lives and create positive impacts in society.
He acknowledged the bank’s support in bringing that goal to life, stating that with the partnership, more lives would be touched and more communities would be positively impacted.
According to the statement, the 13 beneficiaries were selected through a rigorous online business pitch that attracted entries from millions of Nigerians, ensuring equal opportunity for all participants.
A poultry farmer, Inya Irem, emerged as the overall winner and received a grant of N5m. The first runners-up, Samuel Oton, Yaya Precious, Mirriam Bwalya, and Lois Mazi, each received N2.5m.
The remaining eight beneficiaries—Nomuoja Edesiri, Omolola Subair, Samson Adewale, Numa Jakitay, Favour Uchechi, Adeboye Adepeju, Gbenga Olaosebikan, and Ilesanmi Deborah—each received N1m.
Expressing their appreciation, the winners noted that the financial and educational boost would serve as a major turning point not just for their business operations but for their immediate communities.
