(L) Nelly Wainaina- NCBA Goup Director, Marketing Communication and Citizenship (R) Motif Di Don, Music Producer- Elev8 Live Africa
Through creative programs that nurture talent, innovation and financial discipline, NCBA Bank has deepened its commitment to youth empowerment in Kenya, thereby positioning itself as a major player in solving unemployment and promoting inclusive growth.
Under its “Change the Story” sustainability platform, NCBA integrates financial literacy, entrepreneurship training, and creative skills development to equip young people with practical tools for self-reliance and innovation.
Speaking in Nairobi, NCBA Group Director of Marketing, Communication and Citizenship Nelly Wainaina, emphasized the importance of empowering youth through sustainable opportunities.
“When it comes to the youth, the creative economy is one opportunity that needs a lot of help. It contributes about 5% of Kenya’s GDP, and we have to get in there and empower them, especially when it comes to financial skills,” she said.
Wainaina noted the partnership that NCBA has with Motif Di Don via the ELEV8 LIVE Studio project to back young artists, is designed to help talent flourish by offering access to a state-of-the-art recording studio, providing professional guidance, and funding.
“Elev8 is our partner as we strive to give the youth the chance to showcase their talents, unleash their creativity, and make money by it, thus creating a lively, empowered, and financially self-sufficient creative community,” stated Wainaina.
The selected artists are given intensive training in songwriting, digital marketing, and financial management, with the support of such knowledge, they are able to transform their passion to music into sustainable careers.
Furthermire, NCBA has not restricted itself to the arts alone but rather has widened its youth empowerment campaign by partnering with different sports organizations. The bank’s collaboration with the Junior Golf Foundation is one that has seen the training of over 200 young athletes through junior golf academies that focus on leadership, discipline, and inclusivity.
“The golf series was originally our club event but we made it open and accessible to elite amateurs and young players of all backgrounds,” said Tirus Mwithiga, NCBA Group Director for Corporate Banking. “It is a chance to discover and nurture talent as well as assist established professionals in the sport.”
Moreover, NCBA entrepreneurship bootcamps provide young tech innovators with incubation and grants, while the bank’s environmental drives engage youth in tree planting and community stewardship.
NCBA is not just building on the dreams of young people through these multifaceted initiatives, but it is also creating a new batch of innovative, resourceful, and financially empowered leaders.
What the programs have done is change Kenya’s youth from job seekers into change-makers, turning potential into power, and dreams into sustainable livelihood