Seven children who participated in the Teesas summer school have won a combined N1.1 million in grants after pitching business ideas aimed at solving societal problems.
The grants were awarded under the startup spark 2.0 competition, which formed part of the summer school organised by Teesas Education, with sponsorship support from Indomie and Tech4Dev.
The summer school, which ran in two cohorts from July 20 to August 29, exposed participating children to leadership, entrepreneurship, technology and creative skills development.
At the end of each cohort, the children presented business ideas in a pitching competition, with entries subsequently opened to public voting.
Obaniefo Okonkwo came first in cohort one, while Daniel Chukwuemeka came first in cohort two. Both received the diamond grant of N250,000 each.
Kobi Mba and Mojeed Zatu-Nurayn, placed second in cohorts one and two respectively, receiving gold grants of N150,000 each.
Three other participants; Oluwatoni Oyename in cohort one, and Akinkunmi Awomokun and Nehemiah Layade, who tied in cohort two, received bronze grants of N100,000 each.
A standout beneficiary was Mojeed, 10, who combined participation in the programme with success in the Indomie and Tech4Dev-sponsored initiatives.
Zatu-Nurayn had submitted the first entry for the Indomie and Teesas Education for the future CEO challenge, through which five children aged seven to 18 were offered free slots to attend the summer school.
Applicants were required to submit a 60-second video answering the question: ‘If you could start a business that solves a problem in your community, what would it be?’
Zatu-Nurayn’s business idea was to develop robots capable of assisting young and elderly people to cross roads. Her pitch was shortlisted by an internal judging team for its societal relevance before being subjected to public voting.
Through Tech4Dev, a non-profit organisation focused on equipping underserved populations with technology, digital and creative skills, 10 children from Makoko were also sponsored to attend the summer school.
Speaking at the presentation of her prize, Zatu-Nurayn said she was grateful for the recognition.
Her father, Hammed Mojeed, commended Teesas Education for creating the opportunity for his daughter to develop her skills and confidence.
“We truly appreciate the time, effort, and support invested in my daughter throughout this programme. Watching her learn and participate has been a beautiful experience, and this recognition makes it even more special,” he said.
The Teesas Learning Centre Growth Manager, Gladys Ede Osime, said the children demonstrated commitment to developing and promoting their ideas, adding that public participation in the competition was significant.
According to her, cumulative votes across the two cohorts exceeded 50,000.
“The grants are a token to encourage the recipients to remain curious about entrepreneurship and keep exploring ideas that change society for good,” Osime said.
