Sixteen innovators from eight African countries, including Botswana for the first time, have been shortlisted for the 10th Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation. Founded by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Prize is Africa’s biggest prize dedicated to engineering innovation. And here are the proud members of the 2024 cohort: Africa Prize innovators join a network of 133 alumni across 21 African countries working to transform the continent with home-grown solutions for improving quality of life and economic development. In 2024, four finalists will compete for a share of £60,000, with the overall winner receiving £25,000 Details of the shortlisted 16…
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(L-R): Essien Etuk, Amanda Etuk (Co-founders, Messenger) Nigerian startup Messenger is supporting gig workers and logistics businesses with asset financing and credit to power local deliveries. Messenger streamlines logistics by offering financial resources to operators like riders and drivers, connecting them with businesses for efficient last-mile deliveries, which enables trade and commerce to thrive. Co-Founder, Amanda Etuk says “No one was [really] financing the last mile players.” To date, Messenger has clocked up over 4,000 users on its delivery hailing platform, and financed 150 motorcycles. Starting 2018 as a traditional logistics business, Messenger serves the most popular Nigerian e-commerce brands…
A total of eight dynamic African young women-led businesses emerged as winners of the 2023 YouthAdapt challenge. Each business will receive grant funding of up to $100,000, as well as comprehensive mentorship and coaching as part of a 12-month accelerator program. The winning ventures focus on sectors affected by climate change: agriculture, energy efficiency, disaster risk management, water resources, and biodiversity conservation: Deborah Nzarubara (ETS Grencom), Democratic Republic of Congo: Leveraging big data, ETS Grencom provides real-time weather data, bolstering agricultural productivity and supporting pollinating bees for sustainable farming practices. Mirriam Chapi (Chapi Core Tech), Zambia: Through the EaseOn Track…
(3rd L): Babatunde Akin-Moses – Founder, Sycamore.NG Nigeria’s Co-creation Hub (CcHUB) in collaboration with i13 Ventures has selected Sycamore.NG, Kunda Kids, Doktorconnect, and BioCertica, amongst a handful of other African startups to take part in its Africa to Europe scaling program, holding in Dublin this entire week. Says Babatunde Akin-Moses (Founder, Sycamore.NG): “Once you get past the cold around this time of the year, you can’t help but notice the number of major tech companies like Meta, Amazon, and others, that have major operations here. Then lots of pubs too – not sure I’ve seen this many before.” The Africa to Europe scaling programme…
Ugochukwu Aronu (Founder & CEO, WiCrypt) It’s official (announced on X, formerly Twitter): African startup WiCrypt – a company that enables users share and monetise their WiFi connections – is breaking into the Chinese market through a strategic partnership with Singaporean tech company, Onega Ventures. The deal will see Onega Ventures become the exclusive distributor of WiCrypt devices in China, in addition to providing customer support and management services. Sharing his vision of creating a passive income stream for millions of people simply by turning their devices into WiFi hotspots, WiCrypt CEO Ugochukwu Aronu says he is thrilled about partnering…
Adejoke Lasisi (Founder, Planet 3R) Watch the moment that social enterprise, Planet 3R (dedicated to converting textile and plastic wastes into Innovative and eco-friendly products), was called onto the stage at the recently concluded Commonwealth Innovation Sustainable Development Awards 2023. Founder, Adejoke Lasisi had this to say: “Our innovation won the Commonwealth Innovation Sustainable Development Awards 💡 Honored to be one of the 15 winners awarded by the Secretary General and President of Kenya.” Just three months ago, Adejoke was thrilled to enter into partnership with Viva Plus detergent, saying: “I believe this collaboration with Planet 3R will not only…
Jonathan Oppenheimer (South African billionaire businessman and conservationist) Jonathan Oppenheimer, son of South African billionaire Nicky Oppenheimer, has acquired full control of Nigeria’s biggest beverage can-maker, GZI, a supplier of cans to companies including Coca-Cola Co. GZI has about two-thirds market share of Nigerian drinks cans Oppenheimer Partners Ltd. bought the shares in GZ Industries Ltd. from Private Equity firm Affirma Capital (formerly known as Standard Chartered Private Equity), for a 37.5% stake, according to a recent statement from Affirma. The private equity firm had held a 37.5% stake in GZI, which it sold to Oppenheimer. GZI, engaged in competition with Nigeria’s loss-making Nampak…
Ifeoma Uddoh (M) – Founder & CEO, Shecluded Meet Shecluded, founded by social entrepreneur, Ifeoma Uddoh, as a Nigerian fintech credit company whose mission is to power financial freedom for African women by facilitating entrepreneurship and simplified access to financial services, through technology. Shecluded’s FINWOMEN project provides financial products, training, and support to 1000 women aged 18-35 across five states in Nigeria. “Our FinWomen project, supported by Challenge Fund for Youth Employment, will not only support 1000 Nigerian women to gain meaningful self-employment, but will also create up to 3,500 direct and indirect jobs for skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled Nigerian…
(L-R): Theresa Ribera (Vice President of the Government of Spain & Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Change), Tony Elumelu CFR (Founder, Tony Elumelu Foundation); US Secretary Hilary Clinton Day 02 at the ongoing COP28 in Dubai sees Tony O. Elumelu, C.F.R (Founder, the Tony Elumelu Foundation) serving a panelist at the Clinton Global Initiative Discussion. He was joined by Theresa Ribera (Vice President of the Government of Spain & Minister for Ecological Transition and Demographic Change), in a session moderated by Secretary Hilary Clinton, titled “Taking Action Together for the Most Vulnerable on the Climate-Health Nexus”.
The team from the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) have only just arrived Dubai for the 2023 United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP28), and they have been quick to make things memorable. Watch the videos of TEF Founder, Tony Elumelu and Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Director-General, World Trade Organisation), speaking succinctly about what can be done to support young entrepreneurs in the Green space, across Africa. 🎥 TEF #BoldMission #AmplifyingImpact #GreenEconomy #Africa