Innovative Mind to represent Nigeria in JA Africa Company of the Year competition

Innovative Minds  Company, from Caro Favoured School, Ajegunle, Lagos State, will represent Nigeria at the 2016 Junior Achievement (JA) Africa Company of the Year competition in Zimbabwe, between December 7th and 9th.

The team got the mandate for the task at the recently held senior secondary school entreprenurship competition, the “National Company of the Year Compeition (NCOY), which took place at The Orchid Hotel, Ikota-Epe Expressway Lekki, Lagos State.

The NCOY is an annual event that brings regional winners of JA Company Programme across the country together to compete for the national award.

The programme, among other things teaches senior secondary students how to start, and run their businesses from inception to liquidation. They sell shares, raise start-up capital, pay dividends to shareholders and use 10 per cent of their profit for a Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activity.

In the course of the programme, participants must demonstrate a holistic understanding of the company’s performance as a team, and their contributions as they defend their annual reports and host trade booth displays.

The judges in this year’s competition were JAN ambassador and alumnus of JA Company Programme, Tunji Eleso; Audu Maikori, Founder/President, Chocolate City, Mrs Bukky Karibi-Whyte CEO/Founder The Bobby Taylor Company & Invicta Communications Limited, and Country Public Affairs Officer, (Nigeria and Ghana) of CitiBank, Mrs. Lola Oyeka.

In her keynote address, CEO/President, JA Africa, Mrs. Elizabeth Bintliff, encouraged students to push through with their vision, despite the peculiar obstacles faced by African youths, whom she said hold the key to successfully strengthening our nations’ economies.

This years competition showcased ingenuity in areas of technology, and the use of recyled products, as confirmed by the rise in the number young women exploring areas of technology.

Members of Innovative Minds Company, from Caro Favoured School, Ajegunle, Lagos State, produced a programmable DOT Matrix LED displays, which they were able to sell to small business owners within the Ajegunle community, who were unable to afford such elegant way of advertising their products and services. The product sold alongside a smart remote control that enabled owners to change the messages scrolling across the screen, as often as they deemed necessary, without engaging the services of relevant professionals.

Over the course of the school year, the team upgraded their product to an eco-friendly version that didn’t require a power source due to shortage of electricity supply in their community.

Despite it being a fierce competition, Team Innovative Minds emerged tops because of the combination of their savvy use of technology, effective marketing strategy, and their efforts in meeting a critical need in their community.

The team, however, attributes its success to encouragement of Kelechukwu Igwe, who enlisted as JAN volunteer mentor to them for the duration of their programme.