British Council and a charity owned by the King of England, Prince Trust’s International have given grants to eight Nigerian entrepreneurs.
According to a statement from the council, the entrepreneurs received N250,000 each for emerging as the best in the ‘Sustainable Entrepreneurship Challenge Programme’.
They defeated 16 other entrepreneurs after scaling through a preliminary process, which included 60 entrepreneurs, it remarked.
The council stated that the entrepreneurs, who were between the ages of 18 and 35, pitched their business ideas through Nerdz Factory with five judges who selected the winners from the pool.
The council disclosed that the enterprise challenge winners were divided into two groups. “The first cohort included the Most Innovative Business Idea, (Blue Sands Stem Labs, Alero Thompson); Most Societally Friendly Business Idea, (Mee Best Foods, Zenani Gbadume); Most Profitable Business Idea, (Hems to Fit, Oluwatosin Rotimi); Most Environmentally Friendly Business Idea, (Ecodey Management Resources, Mansueah Shobulo).
“The second cohort included the Most Innovative Business Idea, (Eco Feet); Most Societally Friendly Business Idea: (Suss Flow; Olabisi Emmanuel); Most Profitable Business Idea, (Cattle Technology, Emmanuel Nnamdi); Most Environmentally Friendly Business Idea, (Buy Scrap Nigeria),” it noted.
British Council, Country Director, Lucy Pearson, who witnessed the event, stated that the entrepreneurship challenge was “Proof of British Council’s commitment and hope in young people of Nigeria and will continue to provide opportunities for young persons to develop their talents through our works in Arts and Culture, Education and Society, and English Language”.
According to Pearson, building the skills of young people using local initiatives and talents, innovations and solutions is a game changer for the economic development of Nigeria.
The British Council’s country director commended international partner, Prince’s Trust International, for working hand-in-hand with the council in the design and ultimate implementation of the project.
Representing Nerdz Factory, Ade Olowojoba, commended the British Council for sponsoring the entrepreneurship challenge and making the dreams of young entrepreneurs and business owners come true.
