Mitsubishi supported Aspiring Entrepreneurs Programme: Winners emerge
Three young aspiring agribusinesses have been announced as winners of the Mitsubishi supported AEP: Agribusiness Business Pitch Competition
The Mitsubishi Corporation supported Aspiring Entrepreneurs Programme (AEP): Agribusiness is targeted at Nigerian youths between the ages of 18 to 35.
The goal of this programme is to promote entrepreneurship and stimulate entrepreneurial thinking amongst the selected entrepreneurs, particularly startups in the agribusiness sector.
Mitsubishi Corporation was able to support 40 Entrepreneurs with Enterprise Training, Business Incubation and Advisory Services, Mentoring and Funding valued over N8 million.
Speaking about the programme the Managing Director, Mitsubishi Corporation Nigeria Makoto Saito stated “I hope beneficiaries of the Aspiring Entrepreneurs Programme: Agribusiness make the best of the opportunity they have been given and I’m looking forward to hearing about your positive contributions to the development of the Nigerian agribusiness sector.”
Stream 1of the AEP: Agribusiness began December, 2020 rounded up with a business pitch competition on August 29, 2020.
The winners of the competition are Olowo John of Ohrich Nigeria who came in 1st and received a cash prize of N500,000. Ante Joseph of Maatalous
Nasah who came in 2nd and received a cash prize of N200,000 and Ronke Aderinoye of Agrinerve Ventures who came in 3rd and received a cash prize of N150,000.
“We also awarded the Innovation cash prize of N150,000 from our 2019 Scaleup Lab Agribusiness entrepreneurs to Shoremi Adeniyi of Dufma Solutions. The total sum of N1million was divided amongst the 4 winners”, Saito said.
The entrepreneurs pitched their businesses to expert Jury comprising of Yemisi Obe (the Entrepreneur in Residence), Uyi Ima Edomwonyi and Sherif Ibrahim. The Jury also determined the winner of the Scaleup Lab Innovation Fund.
Speaking about the event, the Executive Director, FATE Foundation, Adenike Adeyemi congratulated the winners and stated “Aspiring Entrepreneurs Programme: Agribusiness provides a unique opportunity to young agribusiness entrepreneurs and we are proud of the success of the programme and the achievement of the entrepreneurs.
The Entrepreneurs have proved to be resilient, socially impactful and innovative, by developing sustainable solutions pre and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We congratulate them for rising above the challenges and look forward to collaborating with private companies in supporting more young entrepreneurs in Nigeria”.