AGROLENS Technologies of Sunflower School, Kano State, has emerged as the winner of Junior Achievement Nigeria’s (JAN) 2026 National Company of the Year (NCOY) Competition, securing a $250 prize and an all-expenses-paid trip to Cape Town, South Africa, to represent Nigeria at the African Company of the Year (ACOY) competition.

The winning team comprises Fadillah Abdulsalam, Ruqayya Jallo, Hayfa Mukhtar and Maryam Butu, who developed AgroLens AI, a free, artificial intelligence-powered mobile platform designed to help farmers make more informed agricultural decisions. The platform combines crop disease and pest detection, treatment recommendations, live market price information, connections to buyers, and links to agricultural financing in one place.

Designed with accessibility in mind, AgroLens AI supports English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Pidgin, with voice-enabled features intended to make agricultural information easier to access for users who may have limited literacy or prefer speaking to typing.
By bringing crop health support, market information and financing connections together, the team aims to address several challenges farmers face without requiring them to navigate separate services for each need.
Their victory was announced at the National Company of the Year Competition and National Stakeholder Convening, held on Wednesday, 21 October 2026, under the theme, “Augmenting Innovation: Equipping Nigeria’s Youth for Entrepreneurship and Livelihoods in a Changing Economy.”

The event brought together stakeholders from government, the private sector, education and the development community to explore how entrepreneurship education, digital capabilities and cross-sector partnerships can create sustainable opportunities for young Nigerians.
New Era Company of Community Secondary School, Asokoro, Abuja, secured second place, receiving USD 150, while Nexora of International School Lagos placed third, receiving USD 100.
New Era Company also won the Best Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award, accompanied by an additional US$100 prize.
The competition is a key component of Junior Achievement Nigeria’s School-to-Work Educational Transition for Long-Term Youth Fulfilment (SET4LYF) programme, which equips girls with the practical skills, knowledge and experience needed to transition from school to further education, entrepreneurship and employment.

Through initiatives including Ideathons, JA DEEP and the JA Company Programme, participants develop digital capabilities, identify solutions to real-world challenges and gain hands-on experience in developing and presenting business ideas.
In his welcome address, the Acting Executive Director of Junior Achievement Nigeria, Mr Olaolu Akogun, underscored the importance of preparing young people, particularly girls, to navigate an evolving economic landscape through practical learning and meaningful partnerships.
“The young people we are equipping today cannot afford to be prepared only for the opportunities that existed yesterday. Technology is changing how we work, trade and create value, and our responsibility is to ensure that young Nigerians, especially girls, have the skills, confidence and practical experience to participate in and shape that changing economy,” Akogun said.

He highlighted the progress made through collaborations with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and state governments, emphasising that sustained partnerships are essential to expanding access to entrepreneurship education.
He also challenged stakeholders to translate the convening’s discussions into practical recommendations that government, businesses, schools and development partners can implement.
The keynote address was delivered by Mr Aliyu Abdullahi, Assistant Director, Education Youth Development, Ministry of Youth and Social Development, who represented the Minister of Youth and Social Development.

A JAN alumnus, Abdullahi called for a shift from an education system focused primarily on academic qualifications to one that equips young people with practical competence, problem-solving abilities and pathways to economic participation.
He advocated stronger collaboration between government, educators and industry to integrate entrepreneurship, apprenticeships, internships and practical skills into learning.
He also stressed the need to connect youth development initiatives to market access and emerging opportunities in the digital economy, noting that training must translate into tangible livelihood outcomes.

The event featured an ecosystem panel discussion titled “Bridging the Gap: From Foundational Learning to Experiential Entrepreneurship and Market Access.” Moderated by Acting Head of SET4LYF, Ms Mndepawe Jonah Kwaghe, the panel featured many dignitaries.
The discussion examined how mentoring, capacity building, project management, disability inclusion and private-sector engagement can help young people translate foundational learning into viable businesses and meaningful economic participation. Panelists highlighted the importance of designing inclusive programs from the outset, strengthening young entrepreneurs’ capacity to execute projects and build businesses, and connecting student-led enterprises to their communities, markets and industry networks.
Stakeholders also participated in breakout sessions under the theme “From Programs to Systems: Scaling Digital Capability, Policy and Industry Infrastructure for Sustainable Youth Livelihoods.” The sessions focused on the systems, policies and partnerships required to strengthen digital capability and create more sustainable pathways from education to entrepreneurship and employment.

The contributions of educators and facilitators were also recognised. Mr Isaac Chika Egbe of Sunflower School, Kano State, received the Best Facilitator Award, marking a further achievement for the school whose students claimed the national title.
In addition, 15 girls from the 12 competing schools and other participating schools were selected for a fully sponsored leadership training camp in Ghana in March 2027, sponsored by Delta Air Lines. The award recognises leadership, commitment, team spirit and excellence demonstrated throughout the program.

Reflecting on the victory, Edwin Idoko, Kano State Program Officer, Junior Achievement Nigeria, stressed the importance of collaboration among the state’s education authorities, volunteers and field officers in supporting the students’ achievement.
The 2026 National Company of the Year Competition was supported by FirstBank Nigeria, Project Management Institute (PMI) Nigeria, Food Concepts (Chicken Republic) and Nigerian Bottling Company.
Junior Achievement Nigeria remains committed to working with public- and private-sector partners, educators and communities to equip young people with the skills, mindset and opportunities needed to participate meaningfully in Nigeria’s evolving economy.