EXCLUSIVE: 15 Young Nigerians Become Landowners as Ifeanyichukwu Nnamani Gifts ₦1.5m After Powerful Land Banking Demonstration at Enugu Skill Fest. Five Other Entrepreneurs Receive Cash Grants as Empowerment Takes Centre Stage at YADI's Enugu Skill Fest 2026

ENUGU — In one of the most remarkable moments at the Enugu Skill Fest 2026, 15 young people who participated in a live demonstration on land banking were unexpectedly empowered with a ₦1.5 million contribution from Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Nnamani, enabling them to acquire land collectively.

The surprise intervention came shortly after the CEO of Horizontal Properties Ltd used his presentation at the event to demonstrate how young people could leverage financial synergy and collective investment to participate in real estate.

The demonstration quickly transformed from a theoretical business lesson into a real-life empowerment opportunity.

During his presentation, the CEO of Horizontal Properties Ltd invited 15 young people to the stage to demonstrate the concept of land banking.

He explained that if the 15 participants contributed ₦100,000 each, they would collectively raise ₦1.5 million, which could be used to acquire a piece of land and allow it to appreciate over time.

Using a long-term illustration, he explained that the property could potentially appreciate significantly over a period of years, demonstrating how collective investment could provide young people with an entry point into real estate.

The demonstration was intended to show that young people who may not individually have enough capital to purchase property could explore legitimate forms of collective investment and financial cooperation.

Shortly after the presentation, Hon. Ifeanyichukwu Nnamani announced that the 15 participants would not need to contribute the proposed ₦1.5 million themselves.

The announcement immediately transformed the demonstration into a tangible empowerment moment, with the 15 participants becoming beneficiaries of a collective land ownership initiative.

What began as a practical illustration of how young people could pool resources to invest in property therefore ended with the participants receiving actual financial backing to pursue the opportunity.

The empowerment did not end with the land initiative.

Five other participants were also presented with cash grants to support their respective skills and businesses.

The grants were aimed at helping the beneficiaries strengthen their existing ventures and provide additional resources for their entrepreneurial activities.

Together, the land empowerment and cash grants became one of the major highlights of the festival, providing a practical demonstration of the event's central philosophy: connecting skills and ideas with tangible opportunities.

The intervention was particularly significant because it moved the conversation around youth empowerment beyond speeches and motivational messages.

Participants at the festival had earlier been exposed to business exhibitions, networking opportunities and presentations from entrepreneurs and industry leaders.

The land empowerment demonstrated how an idea discussed on stage could immediately translate into a concrete opportunity for young people.

The episode also reinforced the message repeatedly emphasised throughout the festival — that young people need not only skills, but also access to opportunities, capital, networks and platforms through which their abilities can become economically productive.

The unexpected empowerment of the 15 participants, alongside the cash grants awarded to five other beneficiaries, stood out as a defining moment of the 2026 edition of Enugu Skill Fest.

The festival, organised by the Youths Awakening and Development Initiative (YADI), brought together young entrepreneurs, skilled youths, business leaders, government representatives and other stakeholders around the theme of skills development, entrepreneurship and economic opportunity.

For the 15 beneficiaries who took part in the land banking demonstration, however, the lesson went beyond the stage.

They arrived as participants in a demonstration of collective investment — and left with an opportunity to become landowners.

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