Winners have emerged in the TOTAL “Startupper of the year challenge” which was launched by Total Nigeria Plc and Total Upstream Companies in Nigeria on November 1, 2015. The three best projects were awarded at the official awards ceremony which took place on recently at Oriental Hotel, Victoria Island Lagos. The winners are Opeyemi Owosho of Fitco Tech Integrated Venture, who took first place position, Uzoma Eleke of Zeta Prime Alternative Technologies, who came second and Emeka Nwachinemere of Kitovu Ltd. who took third place in the challenge.
These winners received the Startupper 2016 Award by Total, as well as financial assistance and guidance from Total in Nigeria. The top three projects were selected from the ten finalists at a pitch event on April 6, 2016 in Oriental Hotel, Lagos. This was after evaluation of their project presentations by the honourable ten-man Jury for the “Startupper of the year” Challenge in Nigeria.
Alexis Vovk, Managing Director, Total Nigeria Plc said that “the Challenge is to support young Nigerian entrepreneurs by not only giving them financial support but also customized coaching, an impactful and rewarding label, and visibility” adding that Total identified that young entrepreneurs are not only interested in financial support but are also looking for empowerment and visibility.
The challenge which was initiated simultaneously by the Total Group in 34 countries in Africa aimed to identify, reward and provide support to the best business creation and business development projects under two years of existence in Nigeria by Nigerians aged thirty-five years and below.
A total number of 1,934 projects were submitted and evaluated to get the top 30. The process was conducted, in accordance with the contest rules, by the first level reviewers who comprised of carefully selected professionals, business experts, professors and senior lecturers in Nigeria.
Thereafter there was a second level evaluation by a jury of professionals who reviewed and selected the top ten projects based on specific criteria which include innovation, originality, audacity and potential to impact on socio-economic development of the Nigerian society and its people. These finalists received high impact one-on-one coaching engagements with top business technocrats who served as mentors.
The Challenge, “Startupper of the Year by Total” stemmed from the Corporate Social Responsibility policy of Total to support the socio-economic development of all countries where the Group operates worldwide. It is an initiative with a very concrete response towards strengthening the industrial fabric and improving employment locally.
FRANK UZUEGBUNAM
