Five Nigerian start-up entrepreneurs have emerged winners of the Orange Corners Innovation Pitch Competition, giving them access to €120,000 start-up capital, comprising of 75 percent grant and 25 percent loan provided by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency.
The entrepreneurs who emerged first to fifth place winners are Oyewale Akintonde (founder of Agristi), Anita Dafeta (founder of Origho Lagos) and Israel Alabi, who founded Farmspeak Technology). Others are the founder of Vudoh, Victoria Udoh and her counterpart at D’Olivette Global Enterprise, Tunde Adeyemi.
Orange Corners is an initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands that provides young entrepreneurs across Africa and the Middle East with training, mentorship, network, funding and facilities to start and grow their businesses. It was launched in Nigeria in 2019 and implemented by FATE Foundation.
Every six months, 20 entrepreneurs are supported by the Orange Corners Incubation Programme.
The Orange Corners Innovation Fund (OCIF) Pitch Competition held in December at FATE Foundation marked the end of the fifth Cohort of the incubation programme.
The winning businesses were assessed by an expert jury made up of Investment Manager, Orange Corners Innovation Fund, Tolulope Owolabi; Head Commercial Controlling and Financial Planning, FrieslandCampina WAMCO Nigeria Plc, Omitogun Olalekan and Business Development Manager, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ekundayo Adedoyin.
The sixth cohort of the incubation programme is currently ongoing and will run till July 2022.
Entrepreneurs admitted into the programme are residents in Lagos, between 18 and 35 years and demonstrate innovative and sustainable solutions that have significant economic and social impacts particularly in economy, agriculture, healthcare, renewable energy, water solution and information and communication technology.
The programme has supported 100 entrepreneurs to date with over N250,000,000 for prototype development and testing.
Ifunanya Ikueze is an Engineer, Safety Professional, Writer, Investor, Entrepreneur and Educator.
